When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, many expected Russia's Air Force to dominate the skies, leveraging its advanced fleet of jets, bombers, and helicopters. However, despite having one of the largest and most advanced air forces in the world,

In one of the most extensive overnight aerial confrontations of the war, Russian air defence units reportedly shot down 42 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including two near the country’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, officials said on Saturday, 5 July 2025.

Russia launched 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight into Sunday morning, according to Ukraine's air force.