Russian forces conducted a massive drone assault on 15 Ukrainian regions overnight, causing significant damage to energy infrastructure and residential buildings, Ukrainian authorities reported Thursday.
The Ukrainian air force said it intercepted 78 out of 105 Russian drones, with 23 more likely impacted by electronic jamming. The attack damaged power lines and substation equipment in the Kyiv, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, according to Ukraine’s energy ministry.
“This was one of the largest drone attacks we’ve seen in recent months,” said a senior Ukrainian defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
In Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper reported that power had been restored to over 3,000 consumers, though 2,000 remained without electricity. The assault also caused temporary disruptions to railway services in the southern region.
Kyiv authorities reported downing about 15 drones over the capital and its surroundings during a five-hour air alert. Minor property damage was reported in the central regions of Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed its forces had targeted Ukrainian energy facilities powering military operations, as reported by state news agency TASS. Moscow has consistently denied targeting civilians, despite regular strikes on non-military areas behind the front lines.
The drone attacks come as Russian forces continue to make steady progress on the eastern front, more than two and a half years into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The intensifying strikes, particularly as winter approaches, have prompted Kyiv to renew calls for its Western allies to lift restrictions on long-range weapons use.
In a separate development, the Ukrainian military announced it had used U.S.-provided ATACMS ballistic missiles to strike a Russian radar station, aiming to reduce Moscow’s ability to detect and intercept ballistic targets. The military did not disclose the location or timing of the strike on the ‘Nebo-M’ radar station.
