Ukraine’s air defense intercepted nearly six thousand Russian drones and missiles during April.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
“Nearly 6,000 Russian drones and missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian air defense in April 2026,” the statement said.
According to the report, during the month the Russian forces launched: 6,583 drones — 5,861 were shot down or jammed (89%); 141 cruise and ballistic missiles — 89 were shot down (over 63%).
The overall effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense in April was 88.5%, and on some days 92–95% of targets were destroyed, the ministry added.
The Ministry of Defense also recalled that the most massive drone attack occurred on April 1, when Russia launched 700 UAVs. Large combined strikes of 600–700 drones and missiles took place on April 3, 16, and 25, while on April 15 Russia launched 21 cruise missiles at once — 20 were shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
The ministry noted that the most difficult challenge remains intercepting ballistic missiles, but they can be countered by Patriot air defense system, though Ukraine faces a shortage of missiles for these systems.
