Russia has unleashed one of the largest aerial assaults of the war overnight, firing 656 drones and 73 missiles at targets across Ukraine in a devastating barrage that killed at least 11 people and wounded more than 100. Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 602 drones and 40 missiles, but dozens of projectiles still penetrated the country's air defences and struck everything from homes to military infrastructure.
Massive Strike on Multiple Cities
The "massive strike" using "high-precision weapons" was aimed at targets all over the country, the defence ministry said in a statement. The capital Kyiv was among the hardest-hit locations, with disturbing images now filtering through social channels. Residents were woken by air raid sirens, the sound of explosions and the distinctive buzz of incoming drones as wave after wave of Russian weapons approached the city. Witnesses reported a large column of smoke rising over Kyiv after multiple blasts rocked the capital. Thousands of residents sought refuge in underground metro stations as air defence systems attempted to intercept the death above. Civilians in the nation's capital have become long accustomed to air raids and rushing underground. Entire schools in Ukraine have been operating deep underneath the debris-ridden city streets for years, with rights groups warning of the severe impacts of war on children.
Damage and Casualties
The attack, part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's renewed offensive against critical infrastructure, has ripped through massive parts of the city. Ukrainian officials say damage was recorded in eight of Kyiv's 10 districts, with residential buildings, vehicles and civilian infrastructure reduced to rubble. One of the deadliest incidents saw part of a 24-storey apartment building collapse, trapping residents beneath rubble as emergency crews searched for survivors. Fires also broke out near a kindergarten and in several residential areas. Elsewhere, the city of Dnipro suffered some of the heaviest casualties. Officials said at least six people were killed and dozens wounded, including an emergency responder who died during a secondary strike. The cities of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Poltava were also hit.
Weapons Used and Military Analysis
Ukraine says Russia employed a mix of drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic Zircon missiles in the attack. It is another chapter in Moscow's continued effort to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences through sheer volume. Military analysts have increasingly warned that Russia is combining large-scale drone swarms with advanced missile strikes in an attempt to exhaust Ukraine's interception capabilities and increase the likelihood of successful hits on civilian and military targets. The strike came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned intelligence services had detected preparations for a major Russian attack in coming weeks, as he renewed calls for international aid as the war marches deep into its fifth year.
