Since the morning of May 1, the Russian Federation has launched a massive attack on Ukraine, using 409 strike drones of various types, including the Shahed jet drones. According to the Air Force Command, the attacks lasted from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
This is reported by Finway
Record Drone Destruction and Launch Directions
According to military sources, enemy drones were launched from various directions: Shatalove, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from temporarily occupied territories — Donetsk and Hvardiyiske in Crimea.
“According to preliminary data, as of 3:30 PM, air defense has shot down/suppressed 388 enemy UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas types, and other types of drones in the north, south, center, and west of the country,” the report states.
Despite the effective work of the air defense, the command recorded hits by 16 strike drones in six different locations, as well as debris from downed drones falling in 11 locations.
The Threat Continues: Consequences of the Attacks and International Reaction
The Ukrainian Air Force warns that Russian drones remain in the country’s airspace, urging citizens to strictly adhere to safety rules. The occupiers regularly use a wide range of weaponry — from kamikaze drones to missiles and multiple launch rocket systems, attacking Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure facilities across all regions.
The Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify such attacks as war crimes by Russia, emphasizing their deliberate nature. The systematic destruction of vital facilities, healthcare institutions, as well as depriving the civilian population of electricity, heat, water, communication, and medical assistance has the characteristics of genocidal actions.
During the full-scale war, Russia systematically commits crimes that fall under the definition of genocide: from public calls for the destruction of Ukrainians and the persecution of individuals with pro-Ukrainian positions in occupied territories to the deportation of children and the destruction of elements of Ukrainian culture. Such actions directly contradict the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which obliges participating countries to prevent acts of genocide and punish them even in wartime.
At the same time, the Russian leadership denies targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure; however, the facts of the destruction of hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy, and water supply facilities indicate otherwise.