Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted nearly 6,000 Russian drones and missiles in April, - Ministry of Defense
In April 2026, Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed nearly 6,000 Russian missiles and drones.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian forces launched 6,583 drones in April, of which Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or suppressed 5,861—89% of the total. Of the 141 cruise and ballistic missiles, 89 were destroyed, accounting for over 63%. The overall effectiveness of air defense operations for the month was 88.5%, and on some days, it reached up to 95%.
April saw the most intense attacks of the entire war. The largest attack took place on April 1, when Russia launched 700 drones, as well as on April 3, 16, and 25—during combined strikes against 600–700 aerial targets. On April 15, the enemy launched 21 cruise missiles, of which Ukrainian defenders shot down 20.
The Ministry of Defense noted that repelling ballistic missile attacks remains the main challenge. Patriot systems can counter them, but Ukraine currently lacks missiles for these systems.
