Part 3/15:
In retaliation, Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war since February 2021, unleashing a barrage of 477 drones and ballistic missiles across multiple Ukrainian cities. The operation, involving extensive coordination of drone crews and missile systems, aimed to weaken Ukrainian defenses and morale. However, Ukrainian officials reported that approximately 90% of the drones were intercepted, disabled, or crashed before causing significant damage—highlighting the effectiveness of Kyiv’s air defenses and electronic countermeasures. Many of the drones used as decoys were deployed to confuse Ukrainian radar and defensive systems, revealing Moscow’s reliance on quantity over quality.