Ukraine says its air defences destroyed over 4,700 drones and missiles in September

Ukraine reported intercepting 4,657 Shahed attack drones in September, almost 40% more than in August, alongside interceptions of several Russian missile types. The Shahed total comprised 2,722 Shahed-131/136 drones and 1,935 Shahed-238s, while reported missile interceptions included eight Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, 24 Kh-101s, six Kh-59/69s, 12 Kalibrs and six Iskander-Ks. The operations involved aviation, surface-to-air missile units, electronic warfare, unmanned systems and mobile fire groups. The ministry did not publish the number of ballistic missiles launched, so the unchanged monthly total of eight intercepted ballistic missiles cannot establish an interception rate or comparative defensive effectiveness.