On June 2, Russia launched a large-scale combined strike on Ukraine using ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as attack drones. According to sources, the occupiers fired approximately 70 missiles and nearly 700 unmanned aerial vehicles. While air defense forces managed to shoot down a significant portion of the aerial targets, dozens of ballistic missiles still reached their destinations, causing serious damage to civilian infrastructure.
Strike Objectives: Distraction and Escalation
According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin used this strike to exploit Ukraine's shortage of Patriot system missiles, as well as to divert attention from Russia's inability to protect its deep rear areas and the occupiers' failures on the battlefield. Moscow attempted to justify the attack as a "response" to the strike on May 22 on the headquarters of the Russian "Rubikon" drone center in the occupied Starobilsk of the Luhansk region, claiming that the Defense Forces struck a civilian object.
Casualties and Destruction
The combined strike on June 2 resulted in the deaths of approximately 23 people, with more than 100 injured. In Kyiv, 7 people died and nearly 90 were injured. Damage was also recorded in Dnipro, Kharkiv, and the Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Parts of Kyiv were left without electricity, and public transport routes were temporarily altered due to damage to the overhead contact lines.
Russian Tactics: Cluster Munitions and Double Strikes
ISW analysts note that Russia's use of cluster munitions and double strikes on rescuers indicate a tactic aimed at maximizing casualties among the civilian population. Russia's claim that the strikes are a response to a single incident is considered an attempt to conceal the fact that these attacks would likely have been carried out regardless of it.
Escalation After the Ceasefire
The June 2 strike was part of an escalation by the Russian Federation following the ceasefire on May 9–11, when Vladimir Putin asked Kyiv to refrain from striking Moscow to allow for a shortened parade on "Victory Day." Analysts believe that intensified strike operations against Kyiv are aimed at breaking Ukraine's will to fight and concealing Russia's inability to protect its territory from long-range Ukrainian strikes.
Attack Details
On the night of June 2, Russia employed a wide range of weaponry, including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as attack drones. Despite the efforts of air defense forces, dozens of ballistic missiles reached their targets, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure. As a result of the shelling, residential buildings and civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged in various regions of Ukraine.