Ukraine reports surge in Russian drone activity across north, east, south

Ukraine’s Air Force has reported a sharp rise in Russian drone and tactical aviation activity overnight and into the morning of November 26, with multiple regions coming under simultaneous threat.

In a series of updates posted on its official Telegram channel, the Air Force said alerts were issued from the south, east and north-east, creating a complex operational picture for Ukraine’s air-defence units.

According to the military, several waves of Russian attack drones were tracked moving towards major cities and industrial centres. Unmanned aircraft were detected over the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, with routes pointing towards cities including Pavlohrad, Chuhuiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Kremenchuk, Nikopol and Kamianske.

There were also reports of guided aerial bombs being launched against targets in the Donetsk and Sumy regions.

The Air Force additionally issued warnings of missile threats in the Zaporizhzhia region, alongside potential launches of ballistic weapons from the east. Increased activity from Russian tactical aircraft was observed in the north-east, raising the risk of strikes on front-line areas.

Particular concern was directed towards drones launched from the Black Sea, which were heading towards Odesa region, including areas around Chornomorsk and Yuzhne. Similar movements were recorded over southern parts of the Kherson region, with drones advancing in the direction of Dnipropetrovsk region and Kryvyi Rih.

In northern Ukraine, drone groups were tracked over the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, with some aircraft moving towards the border areas of Sumy region and the Konotop district. The Air Force highlighted that several drones repeatedly changed course, making it difficult to anticipate their intended targets.

By the morning of November 26, alerts concerning drone movements were still being issued. Some aircraft were reported approaching Kryvyi Rih from the south, while others were moving towards Kremenchuk and Pavlohrad.

The Air Force said the situation remained highly dynamic, adding that Ukrainian air-defence units were continuing efforts to track and intercept incoming aerial threats.

By Aghakazim Guliyev