Russia launched 177 Shahed strike drones at Ukraine overnight, targeting multiple regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy, in a sustained aerial assault, according to Ukraine's Air Force. The attack, which began at 7:00 p.m. Kyiv time on February 25, marked one of the largest drone barrages in recent months as Moscow continues to escalate its air campaign.
Ukraine's military reported that air defense units successfully intercepted 110 of the drones across ten regions. "The aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the Russian air attack," the Ukrainian Air Force stated. An additional 66 Russian drones were neutralized using electronic warfare measures.
The strikes caused significant damage in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, and Sumy. Ukraine's largest private energy provider, DTEK, confirmed that one of its facilities in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region was damaged, though no further details were provided. The attack follows a pattern of intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which last year focused on power plants and has more recently shifted to gas storage facilities and production fields.
In Kyiv's Bucha district, a Russian Shahed drone struck a residential building, causing a fire. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported that two civilians were killed and at least two others injured in the attacks. Emergency services shared images on Telegram showing firefighters battling flames in what appeared to be residential buildings and garages.
Kharkiv also suffered heavy bombardment, with Russian drones hitting two districts. Ukrainian officials reported that a kamikaze drone struck a multi-story residential building, with multiple casualties confirmed. Local emergency teams worked through the night to assess damage and provide assistance to those affected.
Ukraine's Air Force identified the launch sites of the drones, stating that they were deployed from six locations: Oryol, Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo, Shatalovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The military continues to bolster its air defenses with Western-supplied systems but acknowledged the challenge of countering Russia's increasingly large-scale and sophisticated drone offensives.
The overnight assault comes just days after Russia launched a record-breaking 267 drones in a single night, the highest number recorded since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Moscow has intensified its aerial attacks in recent weeks, targeting key Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in an apparent effort to weaken Ukraine's defenses ahead of a potential spring offensive.
