Russia says it intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in biggest overnight attack

Kyiv,UPDATED: Jun 26, 2026 16:04 IST

Russia said its air defences intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in a major overnight attack across 12 Russian regions, as well as the Russia-held Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. According to Russia's Defence Ministry, it appeared to be one of the biggest drone attacks on Russia and the illegally annexed Crimea since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. The previous biggest Ukrainian attack over the past year involved 556 drones on May 17.

The attack came as Ukraine continued its campaign of long-range drone strikes on targets far from the front line, including oil production and energy facilities inside Russia. Hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he had ordered "a 40-day influence operation", believed to mean an escalation of attacks, aimed at "compelling (Russia) to end the war" after US peace efforts over the past year yielded no breakthrough.

Initial damage reports from Russia gave little detail. Russia's Defence Ministry usually does not say what was targeted in Ukrainian drone attacks or provide a full account of the damage. Ukraine's Security Service said it had used drones to strike Russian navy ships and air defence radars in Kerch, an important port city in Crimea. It said the targets were two reconnaissance and mine-laying ships, the Volga and the Vyatka, and the cargo-passenger ferry Petropavlovsk, and claimed the strikes started a large fire. The claim could not be independently verified.

The successful strikes, including attacks on targets in Moscow and St Petersburg, have lifted morale in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he received further promises of foreign support at a recent G7 summit, including from US President Donald Trump, and that the aid would help Ukraine step up its effort to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. A NATO summit next month could be another important moment for stronger military support for Ukraine.

In Russia's Tula region, just south of Moscow, Governor Dmitry Milyaev said a private house was damaged and a woman was wounded in the attack. He also said that a power line and an unspecified industrial facility in the city of Novomoskovsk were damaged. Russian independent outlet Astra reported that a chemical plant and a hydroelectric plant in Novomoskovsk were attacked and caught fire, but the report could not be independently verified and there was no official confirmation. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 47 Ukrainian drones were shot down as they flew towards the Russian capital, and reported no casualties or damage.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said two people were killed and seven others were injured in Russian attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours. Regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv and 16 other settlements in the region with guided aerial bombs and drones of various types. The Ukrainian air force said air defences brought down 174 of 189 Russian drones overnight, but four of the seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired by Russia got through and hit various locations. Ukrainian officials also reported damage to energy facilities, homes and other civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, the southern Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions, and Sumy in the northeast. Authorities said at least six people were wounded.

Ukraine also said on Friday that while Russia was expanding several military sites deep inside Belarus, there was no buildup of forces near the Ukrainian border. State Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko told Ukrainian television that intelligence units had detected no grouping or reinforcement of Russian units, equipment or personnel close to the border. He said, however, that Russia had a growing number of training grounds, bases and other sites deeper inside Belarus.

The latest exchanges showed the war continuing on multiple fronts, with Russia reporting one of the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks of the conflict, Ukraine reporting fresh civilian casualties and infrastructure damage from Russian strikes, and Kyiv saying it was watching developments in Belarus without seeing any Russian force buildup near the border.

With PTI Inputs

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