Overnight on October 30, Ukraine faced another large-scale attack from Russian forces. The assault began late in the evening and continued into the early hours of the morning, involving drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles launched from multiple directions. The attack affected several regions, including Chernihiv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro, with explosions reported in several other western cities.
Widespread Overnight Attack With Ballistic Missiles Across Ukrainian Cities
The Ukrainian Air Force detected the first wave of Iranian-made Shahed drones at around 5:04 PM Kyiv time. These drones entered Ukraine’s airspace from the north and began targeting regions such as Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv. The first Shahed drone struck Chernihiv, damaging a critical infrastructure site and sparking fires that local emergency services battled for several hours.
By late evening, air defense units around Kyiv activated as more drones approached the capital. Sirens echoed across the city, and authorities urged residents to move to shelters while defense systems intercepted multiple drones mid-air. Despite the successful interceptions, falling debris ignited small fires and damaged several buildings.
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The drone assault continued for several hours, as Russian forces attempted once again to weaken Ukraine’s energy and communication systems before winter. These Shahed drones fly slowly and at low altitudes, making radar operators struggle to detect them until they come close to their targets.
Ballistic Missile Strikes and Massive Explosions
As the night progressed, Russian forces followed the drone attacks with a second and far more destructive phase — a series of ballistic missile strikes. Around 4:00 AM Kyiv time, Ukraine’s air defense network detected high-speed missiles launched from Crimea. Within minutes, the missiles hit the industrial cities of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro, causing powerful explosions.
The ballistic missiles, believed to be short- and medium-range weapons, struck residential and industrial areas, destroying several buildings, including a dormitory whose floors collapsed after a direct hit. Fires spread across multiple city blocks as rescue teams rushed to extinguish the flames and search for survivors.
The blasts shook nearby neighborhoods, shattered windows, and damaged power lines and gas pipes. The attacks lasted for several hours, spreading panic among residents and forcing many people to take shelter underground.
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Earlier that night, Russian forces had already targeted the Zaporizhzhia region with Shahed drone strikes, using a combined strategy to drain and overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense systems.
Dnipro also faced heavy bombardment. Witnesses reported several loud explosions in the early morning, followed by fires and disruptions to electricity and water supply in parts of the city. Emergency response teams worked through the night to restore essential services and clear debris.
By early morning, local authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage and checking for casualties. Preliminary reports indicated that multiple infrastructure facilities were affected, including power substations and communication lines, which disrupted regional transport and services.
Cruise Missiles, Tu-95 Bombers, and MiG-31K Jets Join the Strike
Russian forces launched a massive overnight strike combining drones, ballistic, cruise, and aeroballistic missiles across Ukraine. Around 4:00 AM Kyiv time, Russian ships in the Black Sea fired Kalibr cruise missiles that entered Ukrainian airspace over Kherson and moved toward Mykolaiv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. The missiles flew at low altitudes to evade detection, and air defense systems reported explosions in several western regions while working to intercept them.
At the same time, Tu-95MS strategic bombers took off and launched multiple cruise missiles that struck deep inside Ukrainian territory. Their coordinated maneuvers intensified the assault. Meanwhile, Russian bases deployed MiG-31K fighter jets armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, further expanding the scale of the attack.
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The Kinzhal missiles, known for traveling at speeds over five times the speed of sound, reportedly hit targets near Vinnytsia and Ladyzhyn around 4:56 AM. Their extreme speed and precision made them especially difficult to intercept, forcing air defense units to remain on constant alert throughout the night.
By 5:30 AM, a nationwide air raid alert was still active as missiles continued to fly across multiple regions. The combination of Shahed drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, ballistic weapons, and Kinzhals marked one of the most extensive and coordinated assaults in recent weeks. By morning, smoke filled the skies over several cities, and emergency teams worked to manage fires and damage caused by the intense overnight strikes.