At night Ukrainian air defense shot down 17 Russian missiles and 18 drones

Russia launches cruise missiles at Ukraine, air defense active in Khmelnytskyi region

Russian aircraft launched cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft, resulting in explosions being heard in the Khmelnytskyi region. Air defense systems were activated 

Ukraine’s Air Force reported the information.

At 3:51 am, the Air Force announced the threat of cruise missile launches from Tu-95MS aircraft.

At 4:41 am, cruise missiles were reportedly moving on the border of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions and heading west.  At 5:36 am and 5:50 am, Suspilne reported explosions in the Khmelnytskyi region. Subsequently, the Regional Military Administration announced that air defense was activated.

Moreover, on the evening of Sunday, September 17, Russian troops launched attack drones at Ukraine. Air defense systems were operating in Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported the launch of attack drones. "The enemy has launched several groups of attack UAVs from the area of the Chauda training ground (Crimea) in the direction of the southern regions," the statement said.

Odesa region

The Air Force reported the threat of Shahed drones in the Odesa region.

Russian-launched drones were moving in the direction of Vylkove, a town in the extreme southwest of Ukraine. Later it became known that the drones were heading towards Reni, another town in the Odesa region.

"The threat remains! Another group of Shaheds is moving towards the southern part of the Odesa region!" the Air Forces wrote.

As of 00:24 am, the Air Force reported that the UAV threat had been eliminated.

Mykolaiv region

As of 10:05 pm, a group of attack drones was detected in the airspace of the Mykolaiv region, moving in a western direction.

The Air Force of Ukraine reported that air defense was operating in the Mykolaiv region.

"Air defense is operating in the Mykolaiv region! Stay in shelters!" the statement reads.

Kirovograd region

At 11:00 pm, the Air Force wrote that the Shahed drones were moving towards Pervomaisk and Kropyvnytskyi.

Later, it was reported that air defense was operating in the region, "There are Shaheds in the airspace of the Kirovohrad region. They are moving in the western direction. Air defense is operating.”

Overall, Ukrainian air defense shot down 17 Russian missiles and 18 drones

The Air Forces reported that, on the night of September 18, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs and Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles.

They noted that the Shaheds were launched from two directions: Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russia, and Cape Chauda, occupied Crimea. 

"A total of 24 attack UAVs were spotted flying in the direction of Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. 18 attack drones were destroyed by air defense along the route," the statement said.

The Air Force added that Russian forces launched cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the Volgograd region.

"Eight aircraft were involved, and 17 cruise missiles of the Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 type were launched. All 17 were destroyed by the Air Force within Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Khmelnytskyi regions," the military summarized.

• On Sunday, September 17, Russian troops attacked Kherson. As a result, a 19-year-old man was wounded. As of 7:50 pm, the attack on the city continued.