Russia fired 405 drones and 28 missiles; Ukraine intercepted 333 drones (82%) and 16 missiles (57%).
Executive summary
Ukraine’s official tallies cited in multiple outlets say Russia launched roughly 653 drones and 51 missiles (total ~704 air attack weapons) and Ukraine reported shooting down or neutralising about 585 drones and 30 missiles; other tallies differ by outlet but broadly match that scale (e.g., ISW assessed 704 weapons launched) [1] [2] [3]. The specific numbers you quoted — Russia fired 405 drones and 28 missiles; Ukraine intercepted 333 drones (82%) and 16 missiles (57%) — are not present in the supplied reporting; available sources do not mention that exact breakdown (not found in current reporting; [1]; p1_s5).
1. What most outlets report: a massive, 700‑weapon barrage
Journalists and analysts covering the Dec. 5–6 strike consistently describe a “massive” overnight barrage in which Russia used roughly 650–704 drones and some 51 missiles; Ukraine’s Air Force and major outlets reported Ukrainian forces downed hundreds of drones (about 585 in many reports) and some missiles (about 30), with the attacks striking energy and rail infrastructure across many regions [2] [1] [3].
2. Why your numbers differ from mainstream reporting
The figures you supplied (405 drones / 28 missiles launched; 333 drones / 16 missiles intercepted) differ markedly from the Ukrainian tallies published by AP, Reuters, NPR, Politico and ISW, which show ~653 drones and 51 missiles launched and ~585 drones / 30 missiles downed [2] [1] [4]. The divergence could reflect a narrower subset — for example, counting only a single attack corridor, a specific drone type, confirmed visual geolocations, or a later revised official accounting — but the supplied sources do not provide that alternate breakdown nor mention those specific numbers (not found in current reporting; [1]; p1_s5).
3. How to interpret interception rates in these reports
Using the commonly reported totals, the interception rate for drones would be about 585/653 ≈ 90% and for missiles about 30/51 ≈ 59%; ISW and multiple news outlets characterize the defence response as substantial but note strikes nevertheless hit energy and transport nodes [1] [2]. The percentages you gave (82% drones, 57% missiles) are lower than the widely reported drone success rate and slightly lower on missiles; again, supplied sources do not corroborate your exact percentages [2] [1].
4. What the damage reports tell us beyond raw counts
Reporting emphasizes that the goal of the wave was to degrade Ukraine’s energy and transport systems: power facilities were hit in eight regions, causing blackouts and forcing nuclear plants to reduce output, and railway infrastructure was struck — impacts reported by Ukraine’s energy operator, regional officials and the IAEA [5] [6] [1]. Even with most incoming drones and missiles intercepted, the attacks produced blackouts and localized infrastructure damage — a reminder that interception tallies do not equal zero operational effect [5] [6].
5. Conflicting or complementary claims from Moscow and Kyiv
Moscow’s Defence Ministry and state outlets offered different emphases: Russia framed the strikes as precision retaliation and claimed to have shot down Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, while Kyiv framed the event as a large-scale assault on civilians’ energy and transport and published high interception numbers [3] [7]. Both narratives serve distinct political aims: Russia to justify military action and demonstrate defence capability; Ukraine to underscore urgency for Western support and resilience.
6. Limits of open reporting and where uncertainty remains
Open-source tallies vary by outlet and sometimes by the institution quoted (Ukrainian Air Force vs. ISW vs. local governors), and numbers often change as incidents are investigated; the supplied reporting shows consistent broad scale but not the exact 405/333 breakdown you cited [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention your precise figures or their provenance, so treating them as a different dataset or a later revision is possible but unconfirmed here (not found in current reporting; p1_s3).
7. Practical takeaways and how to follow up
For accurate comparisons, cite the source and timestamp for any specific launch/intercept breakdown. If you want verification of the 405/333/28/16 set, identify its origin — an official statement, a regional tally, or an analysis group — and I can check whether it appears in these or additional sources. Current major reporting supports the ~653 drones + 51 missiles / ~585 drones + 30 missiles account and documents significant energy and rail damage across Ukraine [2] [1] [5].