udan.co.uk – 27/12/2024 – UKRAINE: Wave of Suicide Drones Sting Overnight; Thousands Flee
Waves of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have swarmed across Ukraine‘s skies for the first time since November, sending thousands of residents fleeing and stirring a national air-raid warning. Starting on the evening of 26 December, the first UAVs crossed into Ukrainian airspace from the east and northeast, marking a significant uptick in Russia’s aerial attacks.
Around 9 PM, Ukrainian military sources confirmed sightings of both combat and reconnaissance drones skirting along the borders of Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions, reportedly heading towards the latter. Simultaneously, several groupings of UAVs surfaced in Sumy and Dnipro regions, heading towards Kherson in the south.
By 10:31 PM, more UAVs were spotted crossing over Poltava towards Kremenchuk. Following closely, another influx of drones was detected in the outlying areas of Kharkiv (23:11 PM). These were soon followed by (23:27 PM) more UAVs spotted moving from Poltava to the Chernihiv region.
Reports by midnight showed several drone groups targeting the city of Zolotonosha in Chernihiv (00:35 AM), while further UAV movements were tracked from Sumy to Poltava (01:37 AM), and a pair of drones was observed heading from Poltava towards Kyiv (01:59 AM).
By 2:24 AM, Ukrainian military reports indicated several groups of strike UAVs gearing up for a southern assault on Kyiv, triggering a full-scale national air-raid alert.
As Ukrainian forces repelled the attacks, using missiles and anti-aircraft artillery, a snapshot of the nationwide air defense map at 2:22 AM depicted a swarm of UAV movements across the country—visual evidence of the magnitude and persistence of the overnight assault.
Citizens across Ukraine are advised to stay alert and follow the instruction of local authorities to ensure their safety. The Ukrainian military continues to work tirelessly, safeguarding the skies and evoking resilience in Ukraine’s population. Stay tuned for further updates on this unfolding story.
