On the night of March 17 (from 18:00 on March 16), Russian forces attacked with 178 strike UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas types, as well as other drones, launched from the directions of Bryansk, Orel, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia), and Hvardiiske and Chauda in occupied Crimea. About 110 of them were Shahed drones.
The air attack was repelled by Ukrainian aviation, surface-to-air missile forces, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, as of 08:00, air defense forces shot down or suppressed 154 UAVs.
There were 22 confirmed drone strikes at 12 locations, as well as debris from downed drones recorded at two locations.
