The Ukrainian Air Force has accused Russia of launching a massive overnight assault involving a ballistic missile and 232 kamikaze drones against targets across the country, reporting that its air defense systems managed to intercept the vast majority of the incoming threats.
In an official statement, military authorities detailed that Russian troops deployed an Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missile alongside a wave of 232 attack and decoy drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and Parody-type simulated models. Ukrainian air defense operations—utilizing aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups—successfully shot down or suppressed 217 of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Despite the high interception rate, the Air Force confirmed that the ballistic missile and 14 strike drones hit 14 different locations nationwide. Additionally, falling debris from intercepted aircraft was recorded across seven other sites.
While the military did not immediately comment on specific casualties or structural damage resulting from the impacts, they issued an ongoing warning to the public, noting that the defense operation was still active as multiple enemy drones remained scattered throughout Ukrainian airspace.
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The heavy bombardment crossed international borders when a stray Russian drone crashed into a residential high-rise building in the eastern Romanian city of Galați, located close to the Ukrainian and Moldovan borders. The impact caused a fire and left two civilians with minor injuries, marking the first time citizens have been hurt on Romanian soil from spilling conflict debris since the war began.
In response to the border breach, Romanian President Nicușor Dan convened the NATO member’s top defense council, directly blaming Russia for what he described as “the worst incident to hit the national territory” and promising proportional measures.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and regional leaders condemned the strike, stating that Russia had crossed yet another line by allowing an incursion to strike a densely populated area inside EU and NATO territory.
