Russia launches 164 drones and three Kh-59/69 missiles in overnight attack on Ukraine
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight from 18:00 on November 7 into November 8 with three guided Kh-59/69 aviation missiles launched from the Sea of Azov and 164 strike drones of various types. By 08:00 on November 8, Ukrainian air defenses had destroyed or suppressed 137 drones, including 88 reactive Shahed drones. Impacts were recorded at 23 locations, and casualties and infrastructure damage were reported in Odesa and Khmelnytskyi.
Key points
- Three Kh-59/69 guided aviation missiles were launched from the Sea of Azov
- Russia launched 164 strike drones, including 112 reactive drones
- Air defenses destroyed or suppressed 137 drones by 08:00 on November 8, including 88 reactive Shahed drones
- Impacts were recorded at 23 locations
- Debris from downed targets fell at six locations
- One person was killed and infrastructure was damaged in Odesa
- One person was injured and residential buildings were damaged in Khmelnytskyi
Why it matters
The combination of guided aviation missiles and a large drone wave created a substantial threat across multiple Ukrainian regions. Although Ukrainian defenses neutralized most of the drones, impacts and falling debris were reported at numerous locations, while the attack caused deaths, injuries, and damage to residential and other infrastructure.
What happened
The attack began at 18:00 on November 7 and continued overnight into November 8. Russia launched three guided Kh-59/69 aviation missiles from the Sea of Azov and 164 strike drones of various types. The drones came from several directions, including Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied parts of Donetsk, and Hvardiiske in occupied Crimea. Air-raid warnings were declared in several oblasts. Ukrainian aircraft, air-defense missile units, electronic-warfare and unmanned-systems units, and mobile fire teams engaged the incoming targets.
By 08:00 on November 8, air defenses had destroyed or suppressed 137 of the 164 drones, including 88 reactive Shahed drones, while several drones remained airborne and combat continued. Impacts of air-strike weapons were recorded at 23 locations, and debris from downed targets fell at six locations. In Odesa, an attack late on November 7 damaged infrastructure and killed one person; a non-residential building caught fire and the blast wave broke windows in a nearby property. In Khmelnytskyi, a drone attack damaged residential buildings and injured one person. An explosion was reported in Cherkasy, and impacts were recorded in Kharkiv and Odesa.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting centers on the Air Force's operational figures: 137 of 164 drones neutralized by 08:00, including 88 reactive Shahed drones, alongside the fact that several drones remained airborne and combat was ongoing. Reports emphasize the scale and mixed composition of the attack, its multiple launch directions, the involvement of several branches of the defence forces, and impacts at 23 locations. Local consequences are highlighted, including one death and infrastructure damage in Odesa, one injured person and damaged residential buildings in Khmelnytskyi, an explosion in Cherkasy, and impacts in Kharkiv and Odesa.
Background
The attack began at 18:00 on November 7 and continued overnight into November 8. The three Kh-59/69 missiles were launched from the Sea of Azov. The 164 attacking drones came from several directions, including Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied parts of Donetsk, and Hvardiiske in occupied Crimea. Air-raid warnings were declared in several oblasts.