Russia launches 164 drones overnight Nov 7–8; Ukraine downs 137
From 18:00 on November 7, Russia attacked Ukraine with 3 Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 164 attack drones — including 112 jet-powered Shaheds — Ukraine's Air Force said. As of 08:00 on November 8, air defences had shot down or suppressed 137 drones, including 88 of the jet-powered ones. This is a new overnight wave, distinct from the November 6–7 wave of 172 drones — the counts must not be merged.
The News
From 18:00 on November 7, Russia attacked Ukraine with 3 Kh-59/69 guided missiles from the Sea of Azov and 164 attack drones — including 112 jet-powered Shaheds, plus Gerbera and Parodiya decoy drones — launched from Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk and Crimea, 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.
As of 08:00 on November 8, Ukrainian air defence had shot down or suppressed 137 drones, including 88 of the 112 jet-powered ones. 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 23 locations, and debris fell at 6 more. The figures are Ukraine's Air Force's, relayed by three independent Ukrainian outlets; no independent Western confirmation was available at the time of writing, and the figures are preliminary.
This is a new overnight wave, distinct from the November 6–7 wave of 172 drones, principally targeting the Kyiv region, which was reported yesterday. The counts must not be merged: 164 drones is this night, 172 was the night before, and 227 was the night before that. The pattern is now nightly, and the mix — 112 jet-powered models among the 164 — is the more capable one.
A separate night from the 172-drone wave before it — 164 drones, 137 downed, and hits at 23 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 six different locations, and the mix — 112 jet-powered models among 164 drones — is the faster, harder-to-stop one.
It matters for the defence picture, too. The Air Force's interception rate held at roughly five in six drones, including more than three in four of the faster jet-powered models — but the drones that got through hit 23 locations. Air defence is a numbers game, and every wave tests whether the numbers still add up.
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 — 164 drones, 137 downed — on its own, distinct from the 172 of the night before and the 227 of the night before that. The launches came from six locations — Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk and Crimea — and the missiles came from the Sea of Azov. The geography is the point: the attacks are launched from across Russia's west and south, and the defence has to cover all of it, every night.
Analyst's Take
This story carries no verdict. It is a report of an overnight attack in which 164 drones were launched and 137 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 164 drones in this wave are fewer than the 172 of the previous night, but the mix — 112 jet-powered models among them — is the more capable one, and the launches came from six different locations. 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 — 164 drones, 137 downed, hits at 23 locations — on its own.
By The Numbers
FAQ
Is this the same attack as the November 6–7 wave?
No. That wave involved 172 drones, principally targeting the Kyiv region. This is a separate night — 164 drones, including 112 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 164 drones in this wave, 112 were jet-powered, and defences stopped 88 of them.
What are Gerbera and Parodiya drones?
Decoy drones. They carry no warhead; their job is to confuse air defences and draw fire away from the real attack drones. Ukraine's Air Force counts them in the total launched, because 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 08:00 on November 8.
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Source: Ukraine's Air Force via Ukrinform / Kyiv24 / UNN via EuropeSays