Russia launches Kinzhal and Iskander missiles, and hundreds of drones in record overnight aerial assault
Russian forces launched 731 aerial attack weapons against Ukraine overnight, including 56 missiles and 675 drones, in what ranks among the largest aerial assaults of the war, Ukraine's Air Force Command reported.
The attack began at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and continued through the night, combining attack drones with air- and ground-launched missiles. Kyiv was the primary target.
Air Force radar units tracked and monitored the following weapons:
- 3 Kh-47 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles (launched from Lipetsk Oblast, Russia);
- 18 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles (launched from Bryansk and Kursk);
- 35 Kh-101 cruise missiles (launched from Vologda Oblast, Russia);
- 675 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas attack drones, Banderol loitering munitions (2 units), and Parodiya decoy drones, launched from Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as Hvardiyske and Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea.
As of 8:00 a.m., Ukrainian air defense had shot down or suppressed 693 targets — 41 missiles and 652 drones of various types, including 29 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 12 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, and 652 enemy drones.
Direct hits from 15 missiles and 23 attack drones were recorded at 24 locations, with debris from downed aircraft falling at 18 additional sites.
Military officials warned the attack was still ongoing, with several new groups of attack drones entering Ukrainian airspace. The public was urged not to ignore air raid alerts.
The day before, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence warned that Russia had launched a combined air attack against Ukraine, which could be prolonged. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the redeployment of Russian tactical aviation, which may indicate preparations for a massive strike on Ukraine.
According to intelligence, in the first wave of the attack, the aggressor uses a significant number of strike drones to overload Ukraine's air defense system and hit civilian targets. They then launch a significant number of air- and sea-based cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles.
By the evening of May 13, the Russians had launched 753 strike UAVs and simulator drones over Ukraine, and air defense shot down 710. And taking into account the overnight attack, there were more than 892 enemy drones in 24 hours.
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