Russia launches 170 drones at Ukraine overnight; 147 shot down, hits recorded in multiple oblasts
On the night of September 27, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 170 strike drones, 76 of them jet-powered, including Shahed, Gerbera and 'Parodia' decoy types. Ukrainian air defense had destroyed or suppressed 147 of them by 07:30, with hits at 18 locations and debris at 8 more. Strikes hit sites in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Dnipropetrovstsk oblasts, killing at least three people.
Key points
- 170 strike drones launched overnight on September 27, including 76 jet-powered types
- Drone types: Shahed, Gerbera, and 'Parodia' decoy/imitator drones
- Launch sites: Orel, Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Shatalovo in Russia; occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea
- Air defense shot down or suppressed 147 drones as of 07:30; hits at 18 locations, debris at 8 more
- Kyiv: drone hit a warehouse in Solomiansky district, causing a fire; KMVA also reported an office building hit
- Zaporizhzhia Oblast: at least 3 killed and 4 wounded in Novotavricheske and Komyshuvakha
- Odesa Oblast: 2 injured, warehouses and residential buildings damaged; Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: 1 injured
Why it matters
The scale of the attack — 170 UAVs in a single night, including 76 jet-powered models — illustrates the sustained pressure Russia is placing on Ukraine's air defenses through saturation tactics that mix strike drones with cheap decoys. Confirmed civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure across at least four oblasts show the continuing human cost of these nightly barrages.
What happened
Russia struck Ukraine on the night of September 27 (from 18:00 on September 26) with 170 strike drones of various types. Seventy-six of them were jet/reactive-powered, and the attack included Shahed strike drones alongside Gerbera and 'Parodia' (Пародія) decoy drones. Launches came from the Russian cities of Orel, Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Shatalovo, as well as from the temporarily occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea.
As of 07:30 on September 27, Ukraine's air defense had shot down or suppressed 147 of the drones. Direct hits by air attack assets were recorded at 18 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at a further 8 locations. The attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of Ukraine's Defense Forces. As of the morning, several enemy drones were still in Ukrainian airspace and the attack was ongoing.
Casualties and damage were reported across multiple regions. In Kyiv's Solomiansky district, a Russian drone struck a warehouse and caused a fire; the Kyiv City Military Administration also reported a hit on an office building in the same district. In Novotavricheske, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a strike on a car killed a man and a woman, according to acting OVA head Mykhailo Semikin; in Komyshuvakha, a man was killed and a woman wounded. Combined, at least three people were killed and four wounded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast overnight. In Odesa Oblast, two people were injured and warehouses, residential buildings and cars were damaged, according to OVA head Oleh Kiper. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, one person was injured. Explosions were also heard overnight in Vinnytsia.
Background
Russia has repeatedly used large overnight waves of Shahed-type strike drones against Ukrainian cities, often mixing them with cheaper decoy drones such as 'Parodia' and 'Gerbera' designed to saturate Ukrainian air defenses. Launches have come from multiple Russian airfields as well as from territories Russia occupies, including Donetsk and Crimea.