ISTANBUL

Ukraine said Sunday that Russia launched a record 818 drones and missiles overnight against its territory, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming civilian deaths and widespread damage in the capital Kyiv, as well as other regions.

“Since last night, work has been ongoing to eliminate the consequences of Russian strikes – more than 800 drones, 13 missiles, including 4 ballistic (missiles),” Zelenskyy said in a late-night address, noting that several drones crossed the border of Ukraine and Belarus.

He said two people were killed in Kyiv after residential buildings were hit, while dozens more were injured in the capital.

Another two fatalities were reported in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, with damage also recorded in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih. The Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv caught fire after being struck, while more than 20 houses and a kindergarten were damaged in Zaporizhzhia.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force command, the assault began late Saturday and involved 805 Shahed drones and simulator UAVs, nine Iskander-K cruise missiles, and four Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles launched from Russian regions and occupied Crimea.

“According to preliminary data, as of 08:30 (0530GMT), air defense systems shot down/suppressed 751 air targets: 747 enemy Shahed-type UAVs and simulator drones of various types; four Iskander-K cruise missiles,” the Air Force said on Telegram.

It noted that hits from nine missiles and 56 drones were recorded at 37 locations across the country, with fragments of downed aircraft falling in eight areas.

The military underlined that this was the largest attack since July 9, when Russian forces launched 728 drones and 13 missiles, of which 711 drones and seven missiles were destroyed.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces destroyed 69 Ukrainian UAVs overnight across multiple regions.

“On September 7, from midnight to 06:30 Moscow time (0330GMT), air defense systems on duty destroyed and intercepted 69 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles,” the ministry said.

According to its statement, 21 drones were shot down in Krasnodar Krai, 13 in Voronezh, 10 in Belgorod, seven in Astrakhan, six in Volgograd, three in Rostov, two in Bryansk, and one each in Kursk, Ryazan, and Crimea. It added that four UAVs were intercepted over the Sea of Azov.

The latest strikes come amid continued aerial warfare between Kyiv and Moscow, with both sides intensifying cross-border drone attacks in recent weeks.