Russia Launches Large-Scale Overnight Strike On Ukraine, Fires Hundreds Of Drones And Dozens Of Missiles

Russia Launches Large-Scale Overnight Strike on Ukraine, Fires Hundreds of Drones and Dozens of Missiles Russia has carried out a major overnight aerial assault on Ukraine, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in what Ukrainian officials described as one of the most intense waves of attacks in recent days. The strikes, which took place on Saturday night into Sunday morning, targeted multiple regions across Ukraine, with air defence systems activated nationwide as explosions were reported in several cities. According to Ukrainian military updates cited by international reports, Russia deployed a combined barrage of long-range missiles and attack drones aimed at infrastructure and urban areas across the country. The assault formed part of a continuing pattern of large-scale strikes that have increasingly combined drone swarms with missile attacks designed to overwhelm air defence systems. Ukrainian authorities said air raid alerts were issued across most regions, with residents urged to take shelter as interception systems attempted to track incoming projectiles.Initial reports indicated that the attacks caused casualties and damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure, though full assessments were still ongoing at the time of reporting.m Officials said emergency services were deployed across affected regions to extinguish fires, rescue residents, and assess structural damage in impacted areas.Ukraine’s air force said its air defence systems intercepted a significant number of incoming drones and missiles, though some projectiles still reached their targets. Authorities added that debris from intercepted weapons also caused secondary damage in several locations, a recurring issue during large-scale aerial bombardments.Russian officials have consistently claimed that such strikes are directed at military-related infrastructure, including energy and logistics facilities. Ukraine, however, maintains that many of the attacks continue to hit civilian areas, calling them deliberate acts of terror against the population. The latest strike is part of an ongoing escalation in aerial warfare, with both sides increasingly relying on long-range drones and missiles to target strategic infrastructure deep behind front lines. Military analysts say the scale and frequency of such attacks highlight the growing intensity of the conflict and the continued strain on Ukraine’s air defence systems.The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has seen repeated waves of large-scale missile and drone attacks targeting cities, energy facilities, and transportation networks. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled, while both sides continue to accuse each other of escalating hostilities.