In a night of September 28, 2023, Russian forces launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine’s territory, predominantly employing the “Shahed-136/131” strike UAVs, targeting the southeastern regions. Ukrainian Air Forces, in coordination with air defense units, managed to intercept and eliminate 34 out of the 44 incoming “Shaheds.”

The operation was supported by fighter aircraft, anti-air missile units, and mobile fire teams. The air defense umbrella extended from Odesa to Mykolayiv and further north into the central regions.

Simultaneously, the skies above Ukraine saw a proliferation of reconnaissance drones, with six of them meeting their demise over the course of the previous day, on September 27. These drones, belonging to the operational-tactical class such as the Orlan, Zala, and Superkam, were neutralized as part of Ukraine’s efforts to safeguard its territory.

On the night of September 28, air raid alarms were sounded in several Ukrainian Oblasts, including Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk, indicating the potential use of ballistic weaponry. Additionally, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia faced the prospect of missile threats.