Russia launched ‘massive’ overnight attack on Ukraine, firing around 120 missiles and 90 drones, Kyiv says

• Russia launched a “massive” overnight attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
• The attack involved around 120 missiles and 90 drones, he added.
• Ukraine’s air force said the country’s air defenses took out more than 140 aerial targets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched a “massive combined attack” on Ukraine overnight, targeting energy infrastructure across the country.

Writing on X, Zelenskyy said that Russia fired around 120 missiles and 90 drones at Ukraine from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

“Unfortunately, some facilities sustained damage from direct hits and falling debris,” he wrote, adding that some areas had lost power.

The Ukrainian air force said that Russia carried out the attack using Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, as well as fighter jets and other aircraft.

It said the missiles fired in the attack included Kalibr cruise missiles, Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and a Zircon hypersonic missile, among others.

More than 140 aerial targets were taken out by Ukraine’s air defenses overnight, the air force said.

While the final death toll is unclear, Zelenskyy said two people were killed and six were injured in a drone attack on Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine.

The rate of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine has seen some significant monthly fluctuations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In August, Russia fired 1,110 missiles at Ukraine, but that figure dropped to 12 in September, according to a recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.

The report said that Russia fired a daily average of 23.2 missiles at Ukraine from September 28, 2022, to September 1, 2024, suggesting “a high level of sustained military capability in Moscow and logistical support from countries like Iran, North Korea, and China.”

Representatives for the Kremlin and the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside of regular business hours.