Russia launches 162 drones overnight Nov 9–10; Ukraine downs 135
From 18:00 on Monday, November 9, Russia attacked Ukraine with one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 162 Shahed-type attack drones — 96 of them jet-powered — Ukraine's Air Force said. As of 07:30 on Tuesday, November 10, air defences had shot down or suppressed 135 drones. This is a new overnight wave, distinct from the November 8–9 wave of 317 drones — the counts must not be merged.
The News
From 18:00 on Monday, November 9, Russia attacked Ukraine with one Iskander-M ballistic missile, launched from Millerovo, and 162 Shahed-type attack drones — 96 of them jet-powered — plus Gerbera and Parodiya decoy drones, according to Ukraine's Air Force. A jet-powered drone is a one-way attack drone fitted with a small jet engine instead of a propeller; it flies faster and is harder to shoot down. Decoy drones carry no warhead; their job is to confuse air defences and draw fire away from the real attack drones. The launches came from Bryansk, Oryol, Shatalovo, Millerovo and occupied Crimea.
As of 07:30 on Tuesday, November 10, Ukrainian air defence had shot down or suppressed 135 drones, including 70 jet-powered Shaheds. Downed means shot down or crashed; suppressed means its navigation or control signal was blocked so it could not reach its target. Hits were recorded at 19 locations, and debris fell at 9 more. In Kharkiv on the evening of November 9, Russian drones injured four people in the Kholodnohirskyi district. The same night, Russia struck Ukraine's Trypillia thermal power plant in the Kyiv region, according to state utility Centrenergo — the extent of the damage had not been independently confirmed at the time of writing.
This is a new overnight wave, distinct from the November 8–9 wave of 317 drones that was reported yesterday — the counts must not be merged. The figures are Ukraine's Air Force's, preliminary as of 07:30, and no independent Western confirmation was available at the time of writing. The wave comes as US-mediated Russia–Ukraine talks open in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, the first trilateral session since February, focused on post-war security guarantees, with the territorial question deferred until those guarantees are settled rather than decided in this round.
A separate night from the 317-drone wave before it — 162 drones, 135 downed, and hits at 19 locations.
Why It Matters
This matters because the overnight drone war has become a nightly event, and its cost is measured in the places the drones reach. The targets in this wave were spread across the country, launched from five different locations, and the mix — 96 jet-powered models among 162 drones — is the faster, harder-to-stop one. The four people injured in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district are the human side of those numbers: people hurt in their own neighbourhood, not on a battlefield. The strike on the Trypillia thermal power plant, if the damage is confirmed, would add to a campaign against the energy grid as winter approaches.
It matters for the defence picture, too. The Air Force stopped 135 of 162 drones — roughly five in six — including 70 of the 96 jet-powered ones. But the drones that got through hit 19 locations. Air defence is a numbers game, and every wave tests whether the numbers still add up. The gap between 162 and 317 the night before shows how fast the tempo can change from one night to the next.
And it matters as a record. Each night's figures are preliminary and each wave is separate; merging them would overstate or understate what happened. This report keeps this night — 162 drones, 135 downed, hits at 19 locations — on its own, distinct from the 317 of the night before. The talks opening in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11 are the first trilateral session since February, and they are about post-war security guarantees, not a ceasefire — the war, and the nightly drone waves, go on while they happen.
Analyst's Take
This story carries no verdict. It is a report of an overnight attack in which one missile and 162 drones were launched and 135 drones were stopped, and a market call would be inappropriate. The facts are stated as reported by Ukraine's Air Force, with the preliminary status of the figures made clear.
What readers should take from it is the pattern, not the count. The 162 drones in this wave are roughly half the 317 of the previous night, but the mix — 96 jet-powered models among them — is the faster, harder-to-stop one, and the launches came from five directions — four in Russia plus occupied Crimea. The drone war is now a nightly event, and each night's figures are preliminary and separate; merging them would overstate or understate what happened. This report keeps this night — 162 drones, 135 downed, hits at 19 locations — on its own. And it lands on the day talks open in Abu Dhabi: the fighting and the negotiating are happening at the same time, and neither has stopped the other.
By The Numbers
FAQ
Is this the same attack as the November 8–9 wave?
No. That wave involved 317 drones and was reported yesterday. This is a separate night — one Iskander-M missile and 162 drones, including 96 jet-powered Shaheds — and the counts must not be merged.
What is a jet-powered drone, in plain terms?
It is a one-way attack drone fitted with a small jet engine instead of a propeller. It flies faster and is harder to shoot down than the propeller versions. Of the 162 drones in this wave, 96 were jet-powered, and defences stopped 70 of them.
What are Gerbera and Parodiya drones?
Parodiya drones are decoys: they carry no warhead and their job is to confuse air defences. Gerbera drones are mainly used the same way, but some variants carry a warhead, which is why reports describe them as strike drones and the Air Force counts them in the attack total. Either way they still have to be tracked and dealt with.
What does downed or suppressed mean?
Downed means shot down or crashed; suppressed means its navigation or control signal was blocked so it could not reach its target. Ukraine's Air Force counts both together, because either way the drone did not hit what it was aimed at.
Why do the counts change during the day?
Because the Air Force reports as the night unfolds. Its figures are preliminary: hits and casualties are confirmed over hours as rescue teams reach each site. The figures in this report are as of 07:30 on November 10, and no independent Western confirmation was available at the time of writing.
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Source: Ukraine's Air Force via Ukrinform / EuropeSays