On September 10, 2025, Russia launched one of the largest recent attacks: massive drone swarms struck Western Ukraine and Kyiv, followed by missile launches in the morning
Executive summary
On Sept. 28–29, 2025, Russian forces launched a very large combined drone-and-missile barrage that Ukrainian officials say involved roughly 595–619 “exploding” drones and about 48 missiles; Ukrainian air defences reportedly shot down the vast majority, with Kyiv and other regions suffering multiple civilian deaths and dozens wounded [1] [2] [3]. Western and independent analysts see the strike as part of a pattern of intermittently concentrated, massed strikes created by stockpiling missiles and using mass drone waves to overwhelm defences [4] [1].
1. What happened: a coordinated, massed strike on Kyiv and other regions
Multiple major outlets report that late on Sept. 28 into Sept. 29 Russia launched one of its largest recent overnight strikes, combining hundreds of drones with several dozen missiles aimed at Kyiv and multiple regions; Ukraine’s air force gave figures in the 595-drones/48-missiles range and said most were intercepted, while Reuters and PBS describe at least four civilians killed and dozens wounded in Kyiv and elsewhere [1] [2] [5].
2. The scale: numbers matter but vary by source
Ukrainian authorities released high-end tallies — for example, 595 drones and 48 missiles — and said air defences shot down roughly 568 drones and 43 missiles; other reporting aggregates the broader set of launches during September and cites totals “over 600” in similar raids, indicating some variation in counting decoys, types and simultaneous launches [1] [3] [2]. Analysts note Russia has been concentrating missiles for a few large, episodic strikes rather than steady nightly missile launches [4].
3. The military logic: overwhelm, stockpile then strike
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and other assessments argue Russia has shifted toward stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles and pairing them with mass drone waves to saturate and exhaust Ukraine’s layered air-defence systems — a deliberate operational pattern to create stand‑out, high‑volume strike days [4]. This tactical choice explains why a single night can feature both very large drone counts and significant missile packages [4].
4. Civilian impact and political messaging
Local officials and imagery outlets document damage to residential neighbourhoods, hospitals and energy infrastructure; Kyiv officials and President Zelenskiy framed the strikes as “vile” attacks intended to inflict civilian suffering and to force political consequences, while Russia framed the raids as targeting military‑industrial sites [6] [1]. Reporting records civilian deaths — including a child — and dozens wounded in Kyiv [2] [1].
5. Air-defence performance and shortages
Ukraine reported shooting down the majority of incoming weapons, but even high interception rates still allow destructive strikes and degrade air-defence munitions stocks. Coverage repeatedly notes Ukraine’s plea for more long‑range and high‑end interceptors (Patriot systems, etc.) and the reality that allied supplies are limited and in high demand [1] [6].
6. Broader campaign context and reciprocal attacks
September 2025 fits into a month when both sides intensified long‑range operations: ISW and Reuters reporting place the massive Sept. strikes amid a pattern of Russian drone attrition and Ukrainian counter‑strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, and note reciprocal attacks on refineries and ports in the same timeframe [4] [3] [7]. Strategic messaging from both capitals emphasised retaliation and deterrence narratives [4] [3].
7. Alternative perspectives and disinformation risks
Independent analysts warn that Moscow uses information operations to reassign blame and to justify escalations; ISW highlights Kremlin intelligence accusations against Ukraine that Western officials consider unfounded and possibly preparatory narrative groundwork for future provocations or false‑flag claims [8]. News outlets and official tallies differ in exact numbers and emphases; readers should expect variance between Ukrainian operational figures and external counts [4] [1].
8. What this implies going forward
Experts cited in reporting conclude Russia is likely to continue episodic, high‑volume strikes timed to maximise shock and degrade Ukrainian civilian infrastructure as winter approaches; Ukraine is responding by accelerating air‑defence measures (including interceptor drones) and pressing allies for more interceptors to blunt future massed waves [4] [9]. Available sources do not mention whether independent forensic attribution has disputed the core claim that Russian forces launched the Sept. 28–29 strikes.
Limitations: this analysis relies on contemporaneous reporting and official tallies published by Reuters, PBS, BBC and specialist analysts (ISW); discrepant counts and political messaging mean precise numbers and target lists vary across sources [1] [2] [4] [6].