Story perspectives

Ukraine shoots down 148 Russian drones overnight

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 6:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Russia launched drone strikes on Zaporizhzhia, hitting apartments, a university and a shopping mall.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said five people were wounded in the attacks.
A Russian drone killed a 45-year-old woman and injured her 13-year-old son in Kharkiv.
Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down or suppressing 148 Russian drones overnight.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed downing 244 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the Black Sea.

History

Historical Context

Armed MQ-1 Predator drones first struck in Afghanistan on 7 October 2001, later expanding to attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Under the Bush and Obama administrations the CIA’s drone campaign grew, with the agency claiming to have eliminated over half of al-Qaeda’s 20 most-wanted by 2009. Russia’s current UAV raids over Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv echo that early U.S. model, raising civilian-risk concerns.

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Story summary

Russia launched drone strikes on Zaporizhzhia, hitting apartments, a university and a shopping mall.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said five people were wounded in the attacks.
A Russian drone killed a 45-year-old woman and injured her 13-year-old son in Kharkiv.
Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down or suppressing 148 Russian drones overnight.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed downing 244 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the Black Sea.

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