Massive Scale! 656 Russian Drones Surge into Ukraine, 11 Dead
The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that Russia deployed more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles, including difficult-to-intercept ballistic missiles, in a massive attack against its neighbouring nation. The death toll resulting from Moscow’s wave of attacks in Ukraine, as reported by AFP and Reuters on Tuesday (2/6/2026), has risen to at least 11 people.
In a statement via Telegram on Tuesday (2/6), the Ukrainian Air Force stated that it detected 656 drones and 73 missiles launched by Russian military forces overnight. Kyiv reported that 602 drones and 40 missiles were intercepted or disabled by Ukrainian air defence forces.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force further noted that Moscow’s air strike wave also involved eight Zircon hypersonic missiles, potentially representing the largest deployment of Russian hypersonic missiles during the four-year conflict. The Zircon hypersonic missile, claimed by Moscow, 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.
Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 11 people were killed and more than 100 others injured due to the barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on several cities, including the capital, Kyiv, as of early Tuesday (2/6). Photos 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 strikes 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 also among the buildings hit by fires caused by missile debris.
Moscow’s missile and drone attacks also struck the city of Dnipro and its surrounding areas, with local governor Oleksandr Hanzha reporting at least seven deaths and 36 injuries. Hanzha noted that all injured persons were receiving hospital treatment for moderate injuries. Hanzha shared images of destroyed residential buildings, burnt vehicles, and damaged children’s playgrounds resulting from the Russian attacks.
The Kharkiv area in northeastern Ukraine was also hit by Moscow’s missile and drone strikes, with the local Mayor, Ihor Terekhov, reporting that at least 10 people, including one child, were injured.