[79549] A night of widespread air attacks in Ukraine: Fear of massive launches by Russia
[79549] A night of widespread air attacks in Ukraine: Fear of massive launches by Russia
Reports of waves of drone and missile attacks by Russia against Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and others, amid official warnings from President Zelensky to the public.
A tense night in Ukraine: Fear of a combined air attack
During the night between June 1 and June 2, 2026, Ukraine experienced an unusual wave of warnings regarding a large-scale air attack. According to Times of Ukraine, which is identified with a position supporting Zelensky and critical of Russia, increased activity of "Tupolev" (TU) strategic bombers and the launch of hundreds of drones toward various targets in the country were identified. Monitoring channels reported that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on the public "to be attentive to sirens and use shelters" due to Russian preparations for a massive attack.
Reports from networks like Україна Online confirmed hits in the Podil district of Kyiv, describing the night as "very scary." At the same time, the channel Aeris Rimor analyzed potential attack targets, noting that the Russians carried out a "comprehensive reconnaissance" of civilian infrastructure hubs, government buildings, and energy facilities in the cities of Kyiv and Lviv, alongside other regions such as Zhytomyr and Rivne.
Parallel to the military activity, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened "inevitable punishment" against Kyiv following a previous strike on student dormitories, indicating a rhetorical escalation accompanying the air operation. The Ukrainian sources, including Ukraine context, emphasized that this is a change in Russian plans that had been delayed from recent days, but noted that "Russia will not achieve significant goals in the war" through attacks of this kind.
Residents in the major cities, primarily in Kyiv, were called upon to stock up on water and rechargeable batteries and to stay in protected spaces. Times of Ukraine reported on images of citizens settling into shelters at metro stations for the night, while air systems continued to report the movement of missiles and ballistic projectiles toward the center and west of the country.