On the night of October 31, 2026, the Armed Forces of Russia launched a massive drone strike on the territory of Ukraine. According to the report by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cited by RBC-Ukraine, the attack was coordinated simultaneously from six directions and involved 134 strike UAVs of various types. Air defense shot down the overwhelming majority of targets, although impacts were recorded across the country.
Scale and Directions of the Attack
According to preliminary data from the Air Force, Russian drones were launched from the territories of Orel, Kursk, Shatalovo, and Millerovo (Russian Federation), as well as from the so-called " TOT Donetsk" and "TOT AR Crimea" (Hvardiyske direction). In total, the enemy used 134 strike drones: 72 of them were jet modifications of the Shahed type, while the rest were Gerbera-type devices and Parodiya-type decoy drones. The use of six different launch directions indicates an attempt to overload air defense systems while simultaneously targeting objects in various regions of Ukraine.
Results of Air Defense Operations
As of 08:30 on October 31, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense forces shot down or jammed 105 enemy drones, including 49 jet-modified Shaheds, as well as Gerbera-type devices and other drone types. Thus, the interception efficiency was about 78% of the total number of launched targets. The remaining 29 devices, according to preliminary estimates, were not neutralized on approach and reached their assigned targets or crashed as a result of trajectory disruption.
Impacts and Consequences
Twenty locations where enemy air attack weapons struck have been recorded. In addition, falling debris from downed drones was recorded at 10 locations. The specific list of damaged objects, as well as information about possible casualties and destruction at the time of the report's publication, was not disclosed. Typically, a detailed assessment of damage for each region is published within a few hours after the attack concludes.
Context: Strikes on Kyiv's Infrastructure
The night attack on October 31 was a continuation of a series of strikes on Ukrainian territory. On the evening of October 30, Russian drones hit a critical infrastructure facility in Kyiv three times. As a result of the power outage in the capital, water pressure dropped in the water supply system, and part of the city's districts were left without water supply. Repeated strikes on energy and utility infrastructure indicate a systematic enemy strategy aimed at undermining the resilience of civil services ahead of the heating season.
The Air Force continues its work on intercepting drones and clarifying data on the consequences. The final report on the number of downed targets and the list of affected locations is expected during the day on October 31.
