Ukrainian Air Force
Ukraine's Air Force and air-defence branch, which counts and reports Russian drone and missile salvos.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it stopped 536 of the more than 850 drones Russia fired at 15 regions overnight on 14-15 October 2026, about 63%, with impacts at 31 locations.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026
Can Ukraine's Air Force keep pace with Russia's ever larger drone salvos?
Timeline for Ukrainian Air Force
Reported stopping 536 drones
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: Russia fires 850 drones across UkraineMentioned in: 800 drones as Trump calls peace close
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Background
The Ukrainian Air Force is the air and air-defence branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After each Russian attack it publishes how many drones and missiles were launched and how many it stopped, and those counts are the public baseline for every raid.
Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko has led it since 30 August 2024, first as acting commander and as commander from 3 August 2025.
Its tallies frame the debate over Ukraine's interceptor stocks. The 14-15 October 2026 count, 536 stopped from more than 850 launched, showed how the size of Russian salvos now tests the force night after night.
Russia's salvos grow beyond 850 drones
Russia aimed more than 850 drones at 15 Ukrainian regions in the night of 14 to 15 October 2026. The Air Force reported stopping 536 of them, with impacts at 31 locations. The raid outnumbered the roughly 800 drones Russia sent on 13 May, and it followed by four days Trump's announcement of a mutual pause in attacks on power plants and grids.
A stop rate of about 63% is the figure the interceptor argument turns on. Since 2024 Russia has mixed cheap Gerbera decoys into its salvos alongside Shahed-type strike drones, so part of every night's interceptor spend goes on targets that carry no warhead. Larger salvos widen that cost for Ukraine's air-defence crews.
How many drones did Ukraine's Air Force stop on 15 October 2026?
Who commands the Ukrainian Air Force?
Why does Russia mix decoy drones into its attacks on Ukraine?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.