Russia unleashed nearly 1,000 strike drones against Ukraine over 24 hours ending Monday evening, marking one of the largest aerial barrages of the war. Ukraine's Air Force reported that Moscow launched 948 unmanned aerial vehicles from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday, including Shahed, Gerbera, and other types. This included 392 drones overnight into Tuesday, followed by 556 more during the daytime, a rare tactic that expanded the attack's geography to western regions far from the front lines.

Ukrainian air defenses performed strongly, downing 541 of the daytime drones alone by 7 p.m. local time, along with most of the overnight salvo. Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat described the daytime assault as unprecedented in scale. "On such a large scale, it's basically the first time. I don't recall there being such daytime strikes with this number of drones," he told reporters.

Despite the high interception rate, the attacks caused significant harm. At least seven people were killed, and 55 were injured across 11 regions, with strikes hitting civilian areas, including a residential building in Lviv's historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Additional casualties included five killed overnight and three more, with 30 wounded during the day. Fires broke out in Lviv, and damage was reported in Poltava, Dnipro, and elsewhere, alongside a hit on a power line linking Ukraine to Moldova.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the barrage and urged Western allies to provide more air defense systems. "While our negotiators were reporting, Russia launched a new wave of ‘shahed’ drones against Ukraine," he said, noting damage across multiple regions. The assault follows a lull in major strikes and comes amid concerns over shifting international priorities, potentially signaling a Russian spring offensive.

This surpasses previous records, such as the 728 drones launched in July 2025. Ukrainian forces continue to adapt to the intensified drone threat, which has overwhelmed defenses in past months and strained munitions supplies.