Ukraine endured one of its largest missile and drone attacks in recent months, with Russian forces launching 215 aerial threats overnight in a sweeping strike that targeted the capital city and multiple regions across the country.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, fires broke out in nine regions, with nearly 40 blazes extinguished by first responders.
The attack, which began at 7:30 p.m. local time on April 23, involved a combination of missiles and drones launched from air, land, and sea platforms.
The main focus of the assault was Kyiv, officials confirmed.
In a statement, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that its air defense units tracked and engaged all 215 incoming threats. Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted 186 targets, including 48 of 70 missiles and 138 of 145 drones. Fighter aircraft, including U.S.-made F-16s and French Mirage jets, played a key role in repelling the attack.
Among the intercepted weapons, Ukrainian air defenses shot down:
- 7 of 11 Iskander-M ballistic missiles (KN-23 variants),
- 31 of 37 Kh-101 cruise missiles,
- 6 of 12 Kalibr cruise missiles,
- 4 of 4 Kh-59 and Kh-69 guided air-to-surface missiles.
However, none of the six Iskander-K cruise missiles were intercepted, the Air Force said.
The coordinated strike impacted several regions beyond Kyiv, including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, and Khmelnytskyi. Ukrainian authorities reported damage to infrastructure and multiple injuries across these areas.
Russia also targeted emergency crews responding to initial strikes. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, a second wave of attacks injured at least one rescuer and damaged four emergency vehicles.
“This attack underscores the continued threat to both civilians and those working to assist them,” the service said in a statement.
The scale of the assault, involving Shahed-type drones and other decoy systems, highlights ongoing Russian attempts to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Despite high interception rates, the sheer volume of attacks continues to strain Ukraine’s resources.