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440 Drones Surrounded Kyiv Before Russia’s Kh-101 Strike, Ukrainian Air Force Reports
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, provided new details on the Russian overnight airstrike targeting Kyiv, calling it one of the most complex and large-scale attacks in recent months.
Speaking on national television, Ihnat said that Russian forces launched around 440 strike UAVs, including approximately 280 Shahed drones. The drones approached Kyiv from multiple directions, including along the Dnipro River, effectively surrounding the capital.
“A large number of Shaheds approached Kyiv from different sides—some flew along the Dnipro, others from the east and west, striking across various districts,” Ihnat stated.
In addition to the UAVs, Russia fired 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Air defenses intercepted 15, but one missile struck a residential building, causing casualties and structural damage. Ihnat also confirmed the use of two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, both of which missed their targets.
Cluster munition fragments were discovered at the strike sites in Kyiv, indicating that Russia used weaponry designed to inflict maximum harm to people. Ihnat described the use of such munitions in urban areas as a hallmark of Russia’s current air campaign.
“This was one of the more massive attacks in terms of scale,” he said. “Kyiv has faced even heavier strikes in the past, including ballistic missile barrages and direct hits on medical facilities, but this level of drone saturation was significant.”
He noted the similarity to missile barrages against Israel, but emphasized that Ukraine’s larger territory forces Russia to apply concentrated but localized strikes to inflict maximum disruption.
Ihnat also confirmed that Kalibr missiles were launched toward Zaporizhzhia, which Ukrainian defenses were unable to intercept.
According to official data, 114 people were injured and three killed in the June 17 attack. Over a thousand residential units in Kyiv were left without power, with restoration efforts underway.
