Russia Unleashes Major Drone and Missile Strike on Ukraine, Targeting Civilian and Energy Infrastructure
Ukraine has reported enduring one of the most intense aerial assaults of the year, with Russia deploying 614 aerial munitions, which included 574 drones and 40 missiles, in a coordinated nighttime operation. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, their defenses managed to intercept or neutralize the majority of these munitions—546 drones and 31 missiles—though 11 regions still experienced impacts.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, characterized the attack as a "massive combined air strike" aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure, condemning Moscow for escalating hostilities rather than seeking peace.
Strike on U.S.-Owned Factory
A notable target of the assaults was the Flextronics electronics plant located in Mukachevo, near the borders with Hungary and Slovakia. The factory, which manufactures consumer appliances such as coffee machines, was significantly damaged, resulting in at least 15 people being injured, as confirmed by police.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked on the attack, stating:
“It was an ordinary civilian enterprise, an American investment. And this is also a target for the Russians.”
Zelenskyy called for more stringent global sanctions, emphasizing: “It seems like there is no effort from the world to stop this war. Pressure is needed—strong sanctions, strong tariffs.”
Civilian Casualties and NATO Response
In Lviv, located just 40 miles from Poland, at least one person was killed and three others sustained injuries following strikes in residential areas, according to Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
The extensive nature of the assault prompted NATO air responses, with Polish and Swedish fighter jets being deployed to monitor Russian long-range aviation activities that included hypersonic missiles. Poland’s Operational Command reported that there was a "reduction in the level of threat" a few hours later.
Russia’s Counterclaims
Moscow's Defense Ministry claimed that its forces destroyed at least 71 Ukrainian drones during the same timeframe. In Russia’s Voronezh region, officials reported a drone strike that damaged an energy facility and interrupted rail services. Meanwhile, in Rostov, an industrial site experienced a fire following an unmanned aerial attack, though there were no casualties reported.
Additionally, Russia’s Rosenergoatom confirmed that one unit of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant was temporarily taken offline, but asserted that there was no broader risk involved.
Largest Strike Since July
Ukraine’s Air Force noted that this was the largest single assault since July 12 and marked only the fourth occasion since the onset of the war that Russian drone launches surpassed 500 in one night. Analysts suggest this barrage signifies a shift from recent weeks, where Russian forces had reduced the frequency of their nightly bombardments.
These strikes also come on the heels of a series of earlier Russian attacks on American businesses in Ukraine, including an incident at Boeing offices in Kyiv earlier this year, which has further exacerbated U.S.-Russia tensions.
