KYIV, Ukraine, Oct 6 – Ukraine launched nearly 900 drones toward Russia overnight, targeting areas across the country as well as the occupied Crimean Peninsula and the Sea of Azov, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. The large-scale barrage came as Ukrainian officials warned that Russia may be preparing an even larger aerial assault against Ukraine.
Russian air defenses intercepted the drones over several regions, according to the ministry. Unconfirmed reports from Russian media said a major fuel depot in the Moscow region caught fire following the attacks. Two people were reported killed, although details surrounding the deaths were not immediately clear.
The strikes underline the increasingly long reach of Ukraine’s domestically produced weapons. Kyiv has spent much of the war expanding its ability to attack targets deep inside Russia, using long-range drones and, more recently, missiles. Ukrainian weapons have reached areas hundreds of miles from the front line, including locations as far east as the Urals and Siberia.
The attacks have taken place against the backdrop of a war in which Russia has maintained a much larger air force and missile arsenal. Russian forces have repeatedly used missiles and drones to strike Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, making aerial attacks a regular part of life across much of Ukraine.
Now, Ukrainian authorities are preparing for another potentially severe Russian barrage.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine had received fresh intelligence indicating that Russia was preparing what he described as a “massive” aerial strike. He said Ukrainian authorities were already taking steps to respond.
“Today, we received updated intelligence on Russia’s preparations for a massive strike. We are preparing countermeasures,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media. He added that deadlines had been established for important defensive measures and that the highest-priority tasks were already underway.
The warning comes as Ukraine continues to face shortages of some air-defense ammunition, particularly interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems that Kyiv relies on to defend against Russia’s most dangerous ballistic missiles.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said last week that Ukrainian estimates indicated Russia had about 600 ballistic missiles in reserve. He said Moscow could also produce as many as 140 ballistic missiles each month.
That production capacity is a major concern for Ukraine because ballistic missiles can be difficult to intercept and can reach their targets rapidly. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for additional air-defense systems and ammunition from international partners as Russia maintains pressure on cities and critical infrastructure.
Ukraine sends hundreds of drones toward Moscow
The largest concentration of the Ukrainian drone attack appeared to be directed toward the Moscow region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 650 drones had flown toward the region between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. He said most of the drones were destroyed before reaching the capital, while 105 were intercepted as they approached Moscow.
Sobyanin later said Russian air defenses had brought down another 68 drones targeting Moscow during the morning. The reports represented one of the largest recent waves of Ukrainian drones aimed at the Russian capital and surrounding region.
Ukraine has increasingly used drone attacks to target Russia’s energy infrastructure, particularly oil refineries and fuel storage facilities. Kyiv argues that these facilities support Russia’s military operations and help sustain the war effort.
Ukrainian authorities said last weekend that their strikes had disabled 51% of Russia’s oil refining capacity. That figure could not be independently verified.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Ukrainian attacks on the country’s energy facilities had cost Russia about 1% of its gross domestic product.
Russia has historically ranked among the world’s largest producers of refined petroleum products, behind the United States and China. Continued attacks on refineries and storage facilities have raised concerns about fuel supplies, while Moscow has taken steps to restrict diesel exports.
The Kremlin’s restrictions have contributed to higher prices in international fuel markets. U.S. President Donald Trump also urged Ukraine last month to stop targeting Russian oil refineries, reflecting concerns that the strikes could affect global energy markets as well as the course of the war.
At the same time, Russia has continued its own campaign against Ukrainian transportation links and infrastructure.
After several days of attacks on bridges in Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials said were intended to make everyday life more difficult in the capital, Russian forces struck a bridge over the Dnipro River in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, according to Mykhailo Semikin, head of the regional military administration.
Traffic on the bridge was temporarily halted following the attack.
Semikin also said a Russian nighttime strike damaged a residential building in Zaporizhzhia and injured five people. A separate strike during daylight hours hit a warehouse and sparked a large fire, he said.
Russia has also continued attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, putting pressure on one of the country’s important economic lifelines.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces carried out overnight drone strikes in the Odesa region. According to the ministry, an ammunition depot was hit, along with a bulk carrier at the port of Chornomorsk that was carrying dual-use goods. Port infrastructure in Izmail was also targeted.
Oleh Kiper, the governor of the Odesa region, said a Russian drone struck a cargo ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands in the Black Sea. One person was killed and seven others were wounded, he said. The vessel was carrying rapeseed oil.
The attacks on ports have broader economic consequences because Ukraine depends heavily on Black Sea shipping to move agricultural products and maintain export revenues. Disruption to those routes can affect both Ukraine’s economy and international commodity markets.
Kremlin warns Lithuania over possible US military base
The widening confrontation is also being felt beyond the immediate battlefield, particularly in NATO’s eastern flank.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned Tuesday that a greater U.S. military presence in Lithuania would increase tensions with Russia. His comments followed questions about Lithuania’s offer to host a permanent U.S. military base and a vote by the Lithuanian parliament on legislation that could permit the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country.
“If military infrastructure belonging to a key NATO member moves closer to our borders, then naturally, this can only be perceived as a step toward escalating tensions, just like the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of a neighboring state,” Peskov told reporters.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he would consider establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Lithuania. The Baltic country, along with Latvia and Estonia, is considered particularly vulnerable to potential Russian military pressure because of its location along NATO’s eastern frontier.
The possibility of a permanent American military presence would represent another significant development in the security environment surrounding Russia, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues with no clear end in sight.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned last month that Russia could be preparing hybrid attacks involving drones or rockets against European countries that provide support to Ukraine. Poland and Lithuania are among the countries that have been particularly vocal in backing Kyiv and strengthening NATO’s eastern defenses.
The latest exchange of attacks shows how the war continues to expand beyond conventional fighting along the front. Ukraine is using increasingly sophisticated long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia, while Moscow continues to rely heavily on missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities, energy facilities and transport infrastructure.
With Ukrainian officials now expecting another major Russian aerial assault, the availability of air-defense ammunition and the ability to protect population centers are likely to remain among Kyiv’s most urgent concerns. At the same time, Ukraine’s growing drone capability means Russian authorities are facing an increasingly difficult task in protecting critical infrastructure and major population centers far from the battlefield.