Russia Unleashes Nighttime Barrage on Ukraine as Missiles and Drones Strike Major Cities

Russia carried out another large-scale overnight attack against Ukraine, launching waves of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles that struck multiple regions, damaging residential buildings, commercial sites, and energy infrastructure on February 26.

Fires were reported in Kyiv, shopping centers were hit in Zaporizhzhia, and civilians were injured across several major cities, according to Ukrainian authorities. In total, 25 people, including two kids, were injured in the attack.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that large groups of attack drones began entering Ukrainian airspace shortly after 1 a.m.

At approximately 03:52 a.m., Russian forces launched ballistic missiles toward Kyiv and Kharkiv. Later in the night, Russia deployed Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers, which fired cruise missiles that reached Ukrainian airspace around 05:25 a.m., primarily heading toward the capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the attack, stating that “most missiles launched today were successfully intercepted thanks to our partners swiftly sending part of the air defense missiles agreed upon at the recent Ramstein meeting.”

Kyiv

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said damage was recorded in three districts—Darnytskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Pecherskyi.

The capital was struck mainly by drones and ballistic missiles. Although cruise missiles were also detected heading toward the city, residents did not report explosions linked to them.

According to Klitschko:

• in the Darnytskyi district, blast waves from falling debris damaged windows and doors in an apartment on the first floor of a nine-story residential building, with no fire reported;

• in the Holosiivskyi district, falling debris ignited fires in garages;

• in the Pecherskyi district, a private house caught fire.

All fires were later extinguished, and no casualties were immediately reported.

Kharkiv

Shortly after the attack on Kyiv, drones and ballistic missiles struck Kharkiv. Preliminary data indicate Russia used 17 drones and two missiles, with damage recorded in four districts.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov reported:

• apartment buildings and private homes damaged in Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, along with severed power lines and a damaged gas pipeline;

• a private home destroyed in the Saltivskyi district;

• another house destroyed and fires breaking out at the impact site in the Slobidskyi district;

• one strike hit the city’s Central Park area.

Terekhov said nine people were initially injured, but the total rose to 14 wounded, including one child, after nearby settlements were also affected.

Zaporizhzhia

Zaporizhzhia experienced one of the heaviest drone attacks overnight, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

The strike damaged 19 apartment buildings, four private homes, and several non-residential structures. Two shopping centers were hit, including an Epicentr retail complex.

Emergency services reported:

• apartment fires on the seventh and eighth floors of a nine-story building;

• damaged balconies and windows in another residential block;

• a 60-square-meter fire inside a shopping mall;

• damage to private housing and the roof of another commercial center.

More than 500 homes were left without heating by morning. Officials confirmed eight civilians were injured in the city, including an 8-year-old child.

Kryvyi Rih

Kryvyi Rih was also targeted by drones overnight, according to city defense council head Oleksandr Vilkul.

Around ten residential buildings were damaged, including one five-story apartment block that suffered severe structural damage.

“According to current information, about 10 residential buildings were damaged. One five-story building was seriously hit—the roof was pierced. A kindergarten, a fire station, and administrative buildings were also damaged, and one car burned while another was damaged,” Vilkul said.

Two civilians—an 89-year-old man and an 83-year-old woman—were injured.

Other regions

In the Odesa region, Russian forces struck energy infrastructure early in the morning, damaging a power facility in the southern part of the region. No casualties were reported, and repair crews began emergency response operations.

In the Poltava region, debris and direct strikes damaged an industrial facility. Falling fragments also hit a private household and power lines in the Lubny district, leaving over 18,000 households and nearly 1,800 businesses without electricity.

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Air defenses in the Cherkasy region intercepted one missile and 20 drones, though debris damaged a former store building, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished.

In the Vinnytsia region, approximately 20 homes were damaged, and one woman was injured and received medical assistance.

Earlier, a time-lapse video recorded from the International Space Station captured a large-scale Russian missile attack on Kyiv, showing both incoming ballistic trajectories and Ukrainian air defense activity over the capital and surrounding areas.

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