Ukrainian air defenses intercepted multiple Russian one-way-attack drones in a massive overnight attack on 26 January, with some strikes hitting civilian infrastructure in Sumy, Ukraine’s Air Force and local authorities report.
According to the Air Force, Russian forces launched 72 attack drones, including Shahed-type unmanned aircraft and various decoy drones, from multiple directions including Oryol, Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia.
Ukrainian air defense forces, including anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups from the Air Force and Defense Forces, engaged the incoming threats. By 09:00, officials confirmed the destruction of 50 attack drones of Shahed-type and other varieties across eight regions: Kyiv Oblast, Odesa Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Donetsk Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Khmelnytskyi Oblast.
According to the Air Force, nine Russian decoy drones disappeared from radar without negative consequences, while combat operations continued against one remaining drone in the air. THe Air Force’s data suggests that at least 12 Russian drones might have reached their targets.
The Sumy Oblast Military Administration says Russian drone strikes damaged an education facility, an apartment building, and administrative buildings in Sumy. No casualties were reported in the attack. According to the Administration, air defenses shot down seven Russian drones over Sumy Oblast overnight.
The administration notes that Ukrainian forces have destroyed 235 drones over the region since the beginning of 2025.
Related:
- Russian double-tap air attack on Zaporizhzhia kills man, injures 46 including two-month-old boy
- No Russian drone hits target as Ukraine neutralizes 131 UAVs
- Russian drone attack injures boy, 12, in Kyiv Oblast, damages Izmail river port, hits Romania
- Starmer vows UK’s “full part” in potential Ukraine peacekeeping
- All but one of 80 Russian drones intercepted in night attack that caused one civilian injury
- Ukraine neutralizes all 93 Russian drones in nighttime attack, Air Force says