On the night of February 17 (starting from 18:00 on February 16), Russian forces launched an attack using 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles from the Rostov region of the Russian Federation and the occupied territory of Crimea; 20 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea area; 4 Iskander-K cruise missiles from the Kursk region of the Russian Federation; and one Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missile from the airspace over the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region.
In addition, 396 strike UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas types, as well as drones of other types, were launched from the directions of Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Bryansk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Shatalovo (Russian Federation), and the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Around 250 of them were Shahed drones.
The air assault was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data as of 09:30, air defense shot down or suppressed 392 aerial targets:
- 20 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles;
- 4 Iskander-K cruise missiles;
- 1 Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missile;
- 367 UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas types and other drones.
Hits by 4 ballistic missiles and 18 strike UAVs were recorded at 13 locations. Debris from intercepted targets fell in 8 locations.
