Ukraine Prepares for Overnight Russian Missile and Drone Barrage as Bombers Take Off and Shelters Fill
Kyiv’s metro stations are crowded with residents preparing to sleep underground after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said updated intelligence points to a massive Russian attack overnight, as Ukrainian trackers report strategic bombers, ballistic missile units, and jet-powered drones already in motion.
Kyiv’s underground stations are again doubling as bomb shelters as Ukraine braces for what officials say could be one of Russia’s largest combined missile and drone strikes in months. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there is updated intelligence indicating that Russia is “preparing a massive attack on Ukraine,” and Ukraine’s air defenses are now shifting into position.
Observers report preparations for ballistic missile launches from Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, with launches expected soon. Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed earlier that three Tu-160 strategic bombers took off from Belaya airbase, and around eight Tu-95MS bombers are expected to depart Olenya Airbase in Murmansk Oblast. Those long-range aircraft are typically used to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles from positions over western Vologda Oblast, with the flight from Olenya to the launch lines taking about an hour and a half.
Operational estimates shared by Ukrainian air defense trackers describe a dense window of expected strikes. Between midnight and roughly 02:30, they anticipate up to 30 ballistic missiles, including Iskander-M, KN-23, and RM-48U modified S-400 missiles, along with Oniks-M supersonic and Zircon hypersonic missiles. Between 02:00 and 03:00, they expect possible Kalibr cruise missile launches from two missile carriers in the Caspian Sea and one in the Black Sea. Up to 50 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles could be fired by as many as 10 Tu-95MS and three Tu-160M bombers.
For civilians, that forecast means another night of air-raid sirens and improvised bedding on metro platforms. Kyiv declared an air-raid warning earlier in the evening because of drone threats, and reports say stations are already packed as residents move underground. Ukraine’s Air Force reported Russian jet-powered drones active across several regions, with two shot down so far—one over Chernihiv region and another over Kyiv region—while another drone was tracked heading toward Zhmerynka in Vinnytsia region.
Air defense units are managing their own race against fatigue, conserving radar time and interceptor stocks for the main wave. The Air Force said it has raised an F-16AM that will likely join tonight’s air defense against incoming Russian cruise missiles, a sign that the aircraft is being integrated into Ukraine’s broader air defense network. Ukrainian forces reported that Geran-2 drones had been cleared from the sky earlier, but command posts expect new launches as Russia probes defenses with cheaper drones before sending in more advanced missiles.
Large-scale salvos like the one expected tonight are designed to stress Ukraine’s power grid, air defense inventory, and public resilience. They deplete surface-to-air missiles and force Ukrainian commanders to decide which areas—major cities, energy facilities, or military sites—receive the densest protection. The possible use of Zircon hypersonic and Oniks-M supersonic missiles, if it occurs, would also give Russia data on how well Western-supplied systems perform against fast, maneuvering targets.
Repeated nights of mass strikes turn infrastructure into a permanent front line. Power stations, substations, railway hubs, and fuel depots become frequent targets, and people living nearby adapt their routines around the likelihood of explosions and blackouts. Even when most missiles are intercepted, the continual threat shapes hospital schedules, school openings, and business plans.
Through the night, the main indicators will be how many and what types of missiles Russia actually launches, how Ukraine’s air defenses perform against the mix of ballistic and cruise weapons, and what damage is reported to critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro, and other cities. In the following days, Ukraine is likely to seek more interceptors and systems from partners, and Russia’s choice to repeat or scale back similar large attacks will show whether this is a one-off demonstration or the start of a new phase of strategic bombardment.
Sources
- OSINT