Ukraine launched a large-scale missile attack overnight targeting Russian military infrastructure in occupied eastern Ukraine and several regions within the Russian Federation, according to multiple sources and regional monitoring channels.
The operation, which appears to be a direct response to a recent Russian missile strike on Ukrainian territory, reportedly involved a mix of cruise missiles and potentially a new Ukrainian ballistic system.
Explosions were reported in occupied Donetsk and Yasynuvata, as well as in Russia’s Rostov and Volgograd regions and occupied Crimea.
Unofficial military channels claimed that the strike may have included the use of a “new Ukrainian cruise missile.” While no official statement has confirmed this, the channel suggested the missile was aimed at a high-value Russian military position in Donetsk.
A Russian war correspondent, Dmitry Steshin, confirmed the attack in a post on his Telegram channel, writing: “Donetsk is shaking, something that sounded like a jet zipped overhead, then there was a series of two dozen explosions. That wasn’t air defense.”
According to reports from open-source intelligence trackers and regional authorities, at least ten cruise missiles struck military targets across Rostov and Volgograd Oblasts. Air raid alerts were issued in multiple districts, and several Russian Telegram channels reported secondary explosions at what appeared to be storage facilities or command sites.
At 9:51 p.m. Moscow time, authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region issued a missile warning for the Black Sea coastal area. “Missile danger. Zone: Black Sea coast of Krasnodar region!” read an alert on the official Telegram channel “Operational Warning Krasnodar Region.” Local residents were advised to seek shelter indoors, avoid windows, and not touch debris or warhead fragments, with warnings that some elements “may be contaminated with toxic substances.”
The alert was lifted at 10:26 p.m., the channel later reported.
Earlier, air raid sirens had sounded in Sevastopol, according to a statement from the city’s Russian-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev. An alert was also issued in the vicinity of the Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to mainland Russia.
While Russian media has largely downplayed the scope of the attacks, social media posts from residents in affected areas describe widespread panic and audible impacts late into the night. Photos and videos posted online, which remain unverified, show plumes of smoke rising from multiple sites.
As of Monday evening, air raid alerts were still active in parts of southern Russia, reflecting ongoing concerns over additional missile strikes.
Ukrainian officials have stated repeatedly that strikes on military targets inside Russian territory are lawful acts of self-defense, particularly when aimed at disrupting attacks launched from those locations.