Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the war overnight, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 100 across Ukraine in a devastating barrage of missiles and drones that left apartment blocks in ruins and renewed fears of an escalating campaign of terror against civilians.
The attack, which struck cities across the country in the early hours of Monday morning, saw Russian forces unleash an extraordinary 73 missiles and 656 attack drones in what Ukrainian officials described as one of the most intense bombardments since the full-scale invasion began. Kyiv and Dnipro bore the brunt of the assault.
In the Ukrainian capital, at least four people were killed and 65 wounded, including three children, after a series of strikes tore through residential districts and commercial areas.
One nine-storey apartment block partially collapsed following what officials described as a “double-tap” strike, raising fears that residents may remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Emergency crews raced to the scene in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district as fires engulfed vehicles and rescue workers searched for survivors amid the debris. “The situation remains extremely difficult,” city officials said as smoke continued to rise above the shattered building hours after the attack.
More than 500 personnel of the State Emergency Service have been involved in dealing with the aftermath of Russia’s overnight attack on our cities and communities. The main strike was on Kyiv, where dozens of residential buildings and other purely civilian infrastructure were… pic.twitter.com/EhcQ5yIKQU
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 2, 2026
Elsewhere in the capital, high-rise residential buildings suffered heavy damage, while fires erupted at petrol stations, businesses and construction sites after missile fragments and drone debris rained down across multiple districts. Residents described a night of relentless explosions beginning shortly after 1.30am.
Further blasts were reported around 2.15am, 4am and again after sunrise as wave after wave of Russian weapons targeted the city.
Brief power outages were reported in parts of Kyiv as air defence systems battled to intercept incoming missiles and drones. The central city of Dnipro suffered even heavier casualties. Regional authorities said eight people were killed and 36 were injured, including a child born in 2023.
Images circulating online showed residential buildings reduced to rubble, while local officials reported that 49 apartment blocks had been damaged, with 7 almost completely destroyed. Mayor Borys Filatov described the destruction as among the worst the city has experienced during the conflict.
In Kharkiv, another major target of the overnight offensive, missiles and drones struck residential neighbourhoods and administrative buildings, injuring at least 10 people. The scale of the assault highlighted the growing intensity of Russia’s long-range bombing campaign. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 602 drones and 40 missiles were intercepted or destroyed. Nevertheless, dozens of missiles and attack drones penetrated Ukrainian defences, striking 38 separate locations.
People are sheltering in the Kyiv metro from Russian missiles — there are almost no free places left. pic.twitter.com/Tf4FNf67if
— Natalka (@NatalkaKyiv) June 2, 2026
Among the weapons reportedly used were Zircon hypersonic missiles, one of Moscow’s most advanced strike systems. Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force, said eight Zircon missiles were launched during the operation alongside ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and hundreds of Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
The attack came after days of public warnings from President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukrainian intelligence had detected preparations for a major Russian strike. Speaking repeatedly over the past week, Mr Zelensky urged Ukrainians to remain vigilant and take air raid warnings seriously. His concerns were heightened by Russia’s increasingly explicit threats.
Just days before the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly warned the United States that Moscow intended to strike Ukrainian “decision-making centres” and advised Washington to consider evacuating its embassy in Kyiv. Russia’s Foreign Ministry also urged foreign citizens and diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital. No major Western embassy complied.
The latest bombardment follows another record-breaking strike in late May, when Russia launched approximately 90 missiles and 600 drones against targets across Ukraine, damaging government buildings, cultural institutions and key infrastructure in Kyiv.
Big Russian attack on Ukraine
Russia has launched dozens of Missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine's defense system has gone almost silent.Reports of missile and drone impacts are coming in from several locations across Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/eAcRfWCLHF
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) June 2, 2026
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the latest attack as further evidence of Moscow’s reliance on terror. “The only reason for these strikes is that Putin is a war criminal and loser who has no cards except terror,” he said. “Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this.” The assault comes at a sensitive moment in the war.
Despite continuing bombardments, Russia’s offensive operations have shown signs of slowing in recent months, while Ukrainian forces have increased pressure on Russian logistics networks and military infrastructure far behind the front lines. Western intelligence assessments have also suggested Russia’s military losses continue to mount, with British estimates placing Russian fatalities at around 500,000 since the invasion began.
Against that backdrop, analysts believe the Kremlin is increasingly turning to large-scale missile and drone attacks in an attempt to weaken Ukrainian morale, strain air defence resources, and demonstrate that it can still impose high costs on Kyiv despite mounting challenges on the battlefield.
For Ukrainians sheltering through another night of sirens, explosions and collapsing buildings, however, the immediate reality was far more personal.
As dawn broke over Kyiv, rescue workers were still searching through the wreckage of the collapsed apartment block, fearing that the death toll could yet rise.
Leave a Comment