Ukraine says air defenses downed 116 drones in overnight Russian attack; Sumy reports injuries and damage

Ukraine’s military said Russia launched a large overnight missile-and-drone attack, and claimed its air defenses downed or suppressed 116 drones and one missile, while officials in the northeastern Sumy region reported four injuries and damage to homes and a medical facility.

In a Telegram post on April 21, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia attacked from 6 p.m. on April 20 with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired from Russia’s Kursk region and 143 strike drones. The military said the drones included Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types. According to the General Staff, Ukrainian forces downed or suppressed 116 drones and one missile, while 22 strike drones hit 17 locations and debris from intercepted drones fell at seven sites. The military said the attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups.

The operational figures were official Ukrainian military claims and were not independently verified at the time of reporting.

Separately, local officials in Sumy reported civilian casualties and damage from the overnight drone attack. Serhiy Kryvosheienko, head of the Sumy regional military administration, said four people were preliminarily injured, including a 17-year-old. He said the teenager and two men were hospitalized, while another person was treated at the scene.

Ukrainska Pravda and UNN, citing local officials, reported damage in a residential area of Sumy, including to multi-story apartment buildings, vehicles and a medical facility. Reports said the roof of a hospital was damaged.

The Sumy reports provided the clearest confirmed picture of the attack’s impact on civilians as Ukraine’s military released its nationwide interception tally. Large overnight barrages have become a recurring feature of Russia’s war in Ukraine, often involving Shahed-type drones — Iranian-designed loitering munitions that Russia uses widely — along with missiles. Ukrainian military statements also frequently identify other drone types, including Gerbera and Italmas.

As with other wartime overnight tallies, the precise numbers reported by the General Staff could be revised later. At the time of publication, the counts for missiles, drones, interceptions and strike locations remained Ukraine’s official account of the attack, while the injuries and property damage in Sumy were separately reported by local officials and Ukrainian media.