Hundreds of Russian Drones Set Ukraine Ablaze
Hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles from Russia have struck Ukraine. The massive attack launched by Moscow has left Ukraine ablaze and caused at least a dozen deaths.
As reported by AFP and Reuters on Tuesday (2/6/2026), the Ukrainian Air Force reported the Russian strikes. They stated that Russia deployed more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles, including ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept.
In a statement via Telegram on Tuesday (2/6), the Ukrainian Air Force said it detected 656 drones and 73 missiles launched by Russian military forces overnight. Kyiv stated that 602 drones and 40 Russian missiles were intercepted or disabled by Ukrainian air defence forces.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force further noted that Moscow’s wave of air attacks also involved eight Zircon hypersonic missiles—potentially the largest deployment of hypersonic missiles by Russia during the four-year conflict.
Moscow claims that the Zircon hypersonic missile has a range of up to 1,000 kilometres and is capable of travelling at nine times the speed of sound.
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that its forces had launched a “massive attack” against Ukrainian defence industry facilities using high-precision long-range weapons.
Casualty Reports
Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 11 people were killed and more than 100 others were injured as a result of the barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on several cities, including the capital, Kyiv, by early Tuesday (2/6).
Images showed large explosions and plumes of smoke rising above high-rise buildings in Kyiv. The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reported that at least four people were killed and 65 others, including children, were injured by the Russian attacks in the Kyiv area.
Klitschko stated that one Russian missile struck a 24-storey apartment building, causing it to collapse and trapping people under the rubble. A 9-storey apartment block was among the buildings hit by fires caused by missile debris.
Moscow’s missile and drone attacks also hit the city of Dnipro and its surrounding areas, with the local governor, Oleksandr Hanzha, reporting at least seven deaths and 36 injuries. Hanzha noted that all injured persons were being treated in hospitals with moderate injuries.
Hanzha posted photos of destroyed residential buildings, burnt vehicles, and damaged children’s playgrounds resulting from the Russian strikes.
The Kharkiv area in northeastern Ukraine was also hit by Moscow’s missile and drone attacks, with the local Mayor, Ihor Terekhov, reporting at least 10 people, including one child, were injured.
Ukraine: Putin is a War Criminal
The Ukrainian government stated that the latest wave of Russian air attacks on its territory demonstrates that President Vladimir Putin is running out of military options in his invasion, which has been ongoing for the past four years.
“Putin is a war criminal and a loser who has no cards left other than terror,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga in a social media statement, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (2/6).
“Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No amount of missiles can change this,” he asserted.