Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles and drones: explosions in several cities and new pressure on air defense and energy

When air raids sound simultaneously over the center and east of the country, and explosions are heard almost simultaneously in different cities, it becomes clear: Russia is once again trying not just to strike individual objects, but to break the sense of security within Ukraine. This attack showed that the enemy continues to test air defense and the energy system, combining missiles and drones from different directions.

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How the attack unfolded: waves of missiles and drones

According to Ukrainian and international media, on the night and morning of February 3-4, Russia carried out one of the most powerful combined attacks in recent weeks, using several types of weapons at once - cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as Shahed strike drones and their modifications.^{6 8 9} The air force warned of missile launches from various directions, including the north, east and the Black Sea, which prompted an alert to be issued across virtually the entire territory of Ukraine.^{8 9} At the same time, dozens of kamikaze drones were recorded in the sky, which the enemy tried to direct to the targets in "waves" in order to overload the Ukrainian air defense.⁹ .

According to the Air Force reports, the main targets of the attack were Kyiv, the central regions, as well as a number of regions closer to the front, where critical energy and industrial infrastructure is located.^{6 8} Some of the missiles and drones went deep into the country's territory, towards Kropyvnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Cherkasy regions, where large-scale strikes were rare before.^{1 2} This geography reflects the Kremlin's logic: to keep not only frontline cities, but also the relatively "deep" rear under threat in order to undermine the sense of security for millions of people.

Kropyvnytskyi and the center of the country: a new target of massive strikes

One of the main points of impact was Kropyvnytskyi. According to local authorities and Ukrainian media, the city was subjected to a massive attack using various types of missiles and drones, including Kinzhal ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and Shahed^{1 2} During the prolonged air raids, several series of explosions were heard in the city: some of them were air defense operations, some were hits on infrastructure facilities and industrial zones.¹ The Air Force officially warned of the launch of the "Dagger" towards the central regions, which increased the threat to the region¹ .

As a result of the attack in Kropyvnytskyi and the surrounding area, fires were recorded at industrial sites, damage to power lines and individual energy facilities.^{1 6} Official figures on casualties are being revised, but local authorities reported injuries among civilians and employees of enterprises.¹ The very fact of such a targeted strike on a city that was not previously in the top targets indicates that Russia seeks to expand the map of vulnerable regions and exhaust the Ukrainian air defense system, forcing it to cover an increasingly large area.

Kyiv and frontline regions: strikes on energy and housing

Amid the attack on the center of the country, strikes continued on Kyiv and a number of frontline regions. In the capital, air defense forces intensified in the early hours of the night, shooting down drones and missiles approaching from the north and east; explosions were heard in several areas of the city, and debris from downed targets damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.^{8 9} The city administration informed about wounded civilians and local fires, which were promptly extinguished by the State Emergency Service units.⁸ .

According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, the strikes were coordinated with attacks on energy facilities in other regions, which may indicate a continuation of Russia's "cold weapons" strategy — a targeted strike on vital infrastructure in winter.^{6 8} In frontline regions — Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Sumy — local authorities reported missile strikes and drone strikes on industrial enterprises, warehouses, and critical infrastructure facilities.^{6 9} In some cities, housing has been damaged, and there are wounded civilians.

Scale and composition of the strike: missiles plus up to a hundred drones

In recent days, Russia has been combining missile strikes with massive attacks by strike drones. On the night of February 4, according to the Air Force, 105 strike drones of the Shahed, Geran, Italmas types and other modifications were launched over Ukraine, which were launched from the Bryansk, Oryol regions of the Russian Federation, Primorsky-Akhtarsk, as well as from the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast and Crimea.⁹ Most of these targets were shot down, but 17 strike drones hit targets in 14 locations, and debris from downed drones fell in five more locations.⁹ .

These attacks are often superimposed on missile strikes, as happened this time: when dozens of drones and several types of missiles are operating over the country at the same time, air defense operations centers must prioritize, first of all intercepting the fastest and most dangerous targets.^{6 8} It is precisely this "fatigue" of the system that the Kremlin is counting on, trying to find weaknesses in Ukrainian defense, especially in the central and western regions, where the density of air defense systems is lower than in the capital.

Implications for energy and civil infrastructure

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal previously reported that in a series of strikes in early February, Russia attacked at least eight regions of Ukraine, targeting both energy facilities and the residential sector.⁸ In a number of regions, in particular in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, temporary power outages, disruptions in heat supply and water supply were recorded.^{6 8} Repair crews are working in an intensified mode, sometimes under repeated air raids, as the enemy often strikes again at already damaged facilities.

In addition to the energy sector, the strikes affected residential areas, schools, kindergartens and industrial enterprises. In some cities, the destruction of multi-storey buildings, fires in warehouses, and damage to transport infrastructure, including roads and railway facilities, were recorded.^{6 9} This fits into the overall strategy of the Russian Federation: to strike at "soft targets" that have no military significance, but have the greatest impact on the daily life and psychological state of civilians.

Air defense work: high percentage of downed targets, but not zero

Despite the scale of the attack, the Air Force continues to demonstrate a high interception rate. In previous nights, Ukrainian air defenses shot down most of the Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles, some of the ballistic missiles, and the lion's share of the strike drones, which prevented even greater destruction and casualties.^{6 8} However, even a few breakthroughs against the background of hundreds of downed targets mean real destruction and deaths - this is what the military emphasizes, calling not to ignore air alerts and to follow safety rules.

A separate risk remains the fall of debris from downed missiles and drones. In Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odessa regions, there have been repeated cases of debris falling on residential buildings, schoolyards, and cars, causing fires and injuries.^{8 9} Therefore, the reports constantly emphasize: even the successful work of air defense does not guarantee complete safety while an air battle is ongoing in the sky.

International reaction and the issue of strengthening air defense

Combined missile and drone strikes on several Ukrainian cities have once again intensified the discussion among Western partners about the need to strengthen Ukrainian air defense and missile defense. After the biggest blow to the energy sector this winter in early February, a number of European governments announced their readiness to accelerate the transfer of additional Patriot, SAMP/T, IRIS-T and NASAMS systems, as well as ammunition for already deployed complexes^{6 8} In parallel, negotiations are underway to expand the production of interceptor missiles in Europe to close the "missile gap" in the medium term.

International media, including BBC, CNN, Kyiv Independent, emphasize: each new massive Russian strike on Ukrainian cities is not only an element of the war against Ukraine, but also a test for Europe's collective security.^{6 8} If the Kremlin sees that even in such conditions the West is delaying strengthening air defense, this only pushes it to further escalation — not only in Ukraine, but also in hybrid attacks against the infrastructure of EU countries.

Sources

1. Censor.net: operational reports about a massive strike on Kropyvnytskyi, the use of the Kinzhal missile, Shahed, and other types of weapons.
2. NV.ua/foreign media: materials about a coordinated missile and drone strike on central Ukraine, including Kropyvnytskyi.
3. ZN.UA: news about explosions in several cities in Ukraine and a Russian missile attack, general focus on the scale of the attack.
4. CNN, BBC: reviews of a series of massive Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities in early February, with an emphasis on Kyiv and the energy sector.
5. Odesa Journal, other regional media: information about strikes on infrastructure in various regions, the number of injured and the nature of the destruction.
6. UNN: data on nightly combined attacks on Kyiv and energy facilities in several regions, comments from government officials.
7. CNN, Kyiv Independent: analysis on the end of the "energy pause" and Russia's transition to a new wave of missile strikes.
8. Kyiv Independent, Militaryni: details about massive attacks across eight regions, targets in the energy and housing sectors.
9. RBC-Ukraine: Air Force report on the attack of 105 drones on the night of February 4, the number of targets shot down and hits.