{
  "id": 10015569,
  "title": "Ukraine destroys record 76 Russian air-defense systems this month, losses analyst says Russia “will never be able to restore”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/ukraine-destroys-record-76-russian-air-defense-systems-this-month",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T16:21:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euromaidan Press",
    "slug": "euromaidan-press",
    "url": "https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/26/ukraine-destroys-record-76-russian-air-defense-systems-this-month-losses-analyst-says-russia-will-never-be-able-to-restore/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In September, Ukraine has achieved a new record by destroying 76 Russian air-defense systems, surpassing the previous high set in July 2023. Analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko commented on the situation via Telegram, stating that this relentless Ukrainian campaign to eliminate Russia's air defenses has opened up the skies over occupied territory and within Russia itself. Kovalenko explained that each destroyed system provides a corridor for subsequent strikes, as Ukrainian drones and special forces target Russian radars and missile launchers across occupied territory and Crimea. The analyst further highlighted that Ukraine's sustained efforts to hunt down Russian anti-aircraft systems offer multiple benefits: it clears the defenses that would otherwise impede Ukrainian strikes and renders future attacks on occupied Ukrainian territory and Russia itself more effective. Russia's limited long-range systems are gradually being pulled back to protect Moscow, leaving fewer options to cover the occupied Ukrainian areas. Consequently, this makes it increasingly difficult for Russia to regain the pre-war level of air defense capabilities. Kovalenko noted that over the course of the full-scale war, Russia has suffered the loss of over 1,673 air-defense systems, a number that it cannot replace due to an already strained defense industry.",
  "summary": "The 76 systems destroyed this month beat a record from July 2023.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ukraine destroys 76 Russian air-defense systems in September, breaking previous record.",
    "Analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko says this campaign opens skies over occupied territory.",
    "Russia's limited long-range systems being pulled back, reducing ability to restore defenses."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ukrinform - Politics",
        "title": "FM Sybiha on attacks against international businesses in Ukraine: Russia wants whole world to pay for its terror",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/fm-sybiha-on-attacks-against-international-businesses-in-ukraine",
        "published": "2026-09-26T11:28:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euromaidan Press",
        "title": "Russia’s air defenses can’t protect all its strategic sites once Ukraine’s ballistic missiles are ready, expert says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/russias-air-defenses-cant-protect-all-its-strategic-sites-once",
        "published": "2026-09-26T12:16:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Ukraine strikes Russian defense plant producing missile components, General Staff says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/ukraine-strikes-russian-defense-plant-producing-missile-components",
        "published": "2026-09-26T17:45:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}