Russia has initiated one of its most extensive ballistic missile offensives against Ukraine since the onset of its full-scale invasion over four years ago.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Moscow executed “a substantial combined offensive against Ukraine utilizing attack drones and various air- and ground-launched missiles” early Sunday morning, primarily targeting the capital, Kyiv.
“The adversary launched over 40 missiles of different types—most aimed at the capital—and 120 attack drones,” stated President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Journalists from USdaily in Kyiv described the assault as severe, concentrated within a two-hour window overnight. On Sunday morning, a strong odor of smoke lingered in the air, and an air raid warning remained active.
Andriy Sybiha, the acting foreign affairs minister, indicated that Russia had fired “around four dozen” missiles on ballistic paths, labeling it the “largest number of ballistic missiles since the conflict began.”
The air force reported that defenses had “intercepted or neutralized 126 targets, including 18 missiles and 108 drones.” However, 23 missiles and 10 drones successfully struck 20 locations.
Visuals from Kyiv depicted a significant crater in the ground and charred building facades. A large logistics facility sustained considerable damage.
Strikes were confirmed in five districts of the capital, as reported by state emergency services. The death toll stood at one, with 16 others injured in the city.
Throughout Ukraine, local officials have reported a minimum of 16 civilian fatalities and 77 injuries over the past day due to Russian missile and drone attacks, with the majority of casualties occurring in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged what it referred to as a “massive strike” aimed at “defense industry facilities and logistics hubs in Kyiv,” later stating on its Telegram channel: “We’re loaded and continuing on.”
The Russian missile attacks follow significant Ukrainian drone strikes on two logistics centers early Saturday, which resulted in eight fatalities.
“Our top priority remains defense against ballistic missiles,” declared Zelensky. “Daily, we require interceptors, and I appreciate everyone committed to our agreements and facilitating the delivery of anti-ballistic systems.”
Frequently, Ukraine has requested additional interceptors capable of countering ballistic missiles, which are challenging to intercept due to their speed and trajectory. They can re-enter the atmosphere at multiple times the speed of sound.
Analysts indicate that Russia is intensifying the frequency of combined missile and drone assaults to obliterate Ukrainian infrastructure.
“The use of ballistic missiles to bombard Ukrainian cities has become a favored tactic and is likely to increase,” noted Phillips O’Brien, a strategic studies professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Ukraine’s supply of US-made Patriot missiles is dwindling, and there is also significant demand from US allies amid the Gulf conflict. Production of the Patriot is being accelerated in the United States, yet demand surpasses availability.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine should manufacture Patriots under license, but such an initiative would likely take months or even years to realize.
Ukraine is also collaborating with France and Italy to develop a different air defense missile, the SAMP/T. However, some analysts have pointed out that its effectiveness has occasionally fallen short when compared to the Patriot system.
According to Fabian Hoffmann from the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies, the market for interceptors that can eliminate ballistic missiles has “few suppliers, extended lead times, and unresolved capability questions.”
Ukraine has sustained its offensive against Russian energy infrastructure, executing another strike early Sunday on the export hub that transports oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, managing the hub off Russia’s Black Sea coastline, announced on Sunday that two tankers were hit, resulting in a halt in oil loading. No casualties were reported.
This particular site had previously been struck on Friday.
Ukrainians reported on Sunday that they utilized a maritime drone to target a tanker in the Black Sea, which was part of Russia’s covert fleet. The tanker, identified as the Avero, entered the Black Sea on Thursday but is not under sanctions from the US or Europe, according to ship-tracking service MarineTraffic.
The Ukrainian Security Service reported that three oil depots in southern Russia were also targeted.
Fighting in the Black Sea continued into Sunday evening, during which Russian forces attacked the Golden Leo, as reported by Ukraine’s Navy. Three missiles struck the starboard side, igniting a fire on board the Turkish-owned cargo vessel, which was transporting grain from Odesa, according to the navy.
The Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration stated that the search and rescue operation persisted throughout the night. They reported that 10 individuals died while eight crew members were rescued and brought to shore.
