741 Drones and Missiles: Russia Launches Record Airstrike on Ukraine Overnight
Russia launched its most massive aerial offensive against Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, firing a staggering 741 air attack assets overnight.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Ukraine’s Air Force.
The unprecedented attack targeted multiple regions, with the western city of Lutsk bearing the brunt.
The assault began at approximately 8:00 p.m. on July 8 and continued into the early morning hours. The attack included:
– 728 kamikaze drones, primarily Iranian-designed Shaheds and other unmanned aerial vehicles, launched from multiple Russian regions – Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Millerovo;
– 7 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, fired from Saratov and Kursk regions;
– 6 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, launched from MiG-31K aircraft over the Lipetsk region.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 303 drones and missiles were physically shot down, while 415 were neutralized using electronic warfare systems. All seven cruise missiles were intercepted.
Despite these defensive efforts, at least four impact sites were recorded, and debris from downed drones or missiles fell in 14 other locations.
According to Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk, the city experienced “the most intense and destructive” attack since the start of the war.
Fires broke out at a major local enterprise and in a nearby garage complex. Emergency responders are still assessing the full extent of the damage.
The head of the Volyn Regional Administration, Ivan Rudnytskyi, confirmed that around 50 drones and five missiles entered the region’s airspace. “In fact, everything was flying toward Lutsk,” he said.
Read more on The Gaze: Russia’s War on Ukraine: An Unprecedented Act of Genocide Targeting Ukraine’s National Identity and Existence