Russia carried out its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine, launching 267 drones overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The attack took place on the night of February 23, 2025, on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the Ukrainian Air Force said the attack involved 267 Shahed-type strike drones and various imitator drones coming from multiple locations, including Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, Chauda in Crimea, and included three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Crimea.
The attack impacted the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Poltava, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia. The attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups from the Ukrainian Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine, the statement continued.
As of February 24, 2025, 08:00 local time, it was confirmed that 138 Shahed and other types of attack drones had been shot down. The Ukrainian Air Force noted that 119 enemy imitator drones were lost, with three heading towards Belarus and one towards Russia.
On February 23, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a statement on X in which he said that the Ukrainian people continue to “stand against aerial terror”. Zelenskyy described the attack as “the largest attack since Iranian drones began striking Ukrainian cities and villages.”
The Ukrainian President expressed gratitude to “everyone who repels such attacks on a daily basis—our aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces. I also thank those on the ground who save lives and respond to the aftermath of shelling—the State Emergency Service, medics, and the National Police.”
“The war continues,” he added. “Everyone capable of helping with air defense must work to enhance the protection of human life. We must do everything possible to bring a lasting peace to Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy also noted that nearly 1,150 attack drones, more than 1,400 guided aerial bombs and 35 missiles of various types were launched in Ukraine in the week prior to the attack.
