Russia has claimed that its air defense systems shot down its own kamikaze drones, which were reportedly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
However, despite Moscow’s assertion, Ukraine suffered a massive aerial assault overnight, contradicting recent promises from Russian President Vladimir Putin to scale back strikes.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, six drones were allegedly destroyed by its own Pantsir air defense systems, while another was intercepted by a fighter jet. The statement came as the Kremlin sought to portray control over its military operations.
However, Ukraine’s military reported that the actual scale of the attack was far greater. In the early hours of March 19, Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, four S-300 surface-to-air missiles, and an unprecedented 145 Shahed-type attack drones and various decoy UAVs. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 72 of the drones, but many still penetrated deep into Ukrainian airspace, with 45 targeting the Kyiv region alone.
The attack was launched from multiple locations, including Bryansk, Oryol, Shatalovo, Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia. The Ukrainian government reported widespread damage to energy facilities, transportation networks, and hospitals, further crippling civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly linked the attack to Putin’s recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it exposed the Kremlin’s duplicity.
“After Putin’s call with Trump, Russia struck energy infrastructure, hospitals, and transportation, launching 150 drones,” Zelenskyy stated. “Putin’s words do not match reality.”