Russian air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones during a massive overnight attack spanning 12 domestic regions, the Black Sea, the Azov Sea, and annexed Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday. The coordinated assault represents one of the largest single long-range aerial barrages launched by Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago.
The strikes occurred hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a “40-day influence operation” designed to ramp up infrastructure targeting and pressure Moscow into peace negotiations. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 47 drones were downed heading toward the capital. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicated that an industrial chemical plant and a hydroelectric facility caught fire in the Tula region, where one civilian injury was confirmed.
Simultaneously, Russia launched its own overnight barrage against Ukraine, deploying 189 drones and seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials stated they intercepted 174 drones, but missile strikes killed two civilians and injured seven others in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Additional damage to energy networks and residential infrastructure was reported across Kyiv, Odesa, and Sumy as both nations escalate behind-the-lines operations.
