The Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out a massive air attack on various regions of the Russian Federation last night. According to official sources, the large-scale strike covered 18 regions of the country at once, becoming one of the largest drone operations in recent times.
Chronology and scale of the night strike
According to an official statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the attack by Ukrainian UAVs began at 20:00 on September 29 and continued throughout the night until 08:00 on September 30, 2026. The military department claims that the airspace over almost two dozen regions underwent an intensive raid by hundreds of drones deployed to target military and infrastructure facilities.
Although the Russian Defense Ministry traditionally refrains from publishing the exact total number of launched aircraft, their published reports imply that the total number of targets exceeded four hundred units. The department's reports also claim that air defense duty forces supposedly intercepted and destroyed 384 Ukrainian UAVs.
Contradictory data
It is worth noting the presence of traditional information contradictions in assessing the scale and results of such attacks. The Russian side claims the vast majority of targets were shot down and praises the successful operation of air defense systems, while independent experts and Ukrainian sources emphasize the strategic nature of operations aimed at depleting enemy resources and striking critical facilities inside Russia. At the same time, full verification of the figures claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defense remains difficult amid active hostilities.
Such incidents demonstrate the escalation of unmanned aerial vehicle use by both sides of the conflict. Experts note that the intensity of strikes continues to grow, putting serious pressure on air defense systems deep inside Russian territory and forcing the military command to redistribute resources to cover strategic centers.
