[47815] A night of unprecedented drone attacks between Ukraine and Russia

A night of unprecedented drone attacks between Ukraine and Russia

During the night between May 2 and 3, 2026, Ukraine experienced a widespread wave of aerial attacks. According to the Ukrainian Air Force announcement, Russia launched an "Iskander-M" ballistic missile and 268 attack drones, including "Shahed," "Gerbera," and "Italmas" models. According to the report, Ukrainian air defense systems managed to intercept or disrupt 249 of the vehicles. Despite this, hits were reported at 15 different locations. In the Odesa region, according to reports on Channel 24, two people were killed and five were injured by drone strikes on oil infrastructure and residential buildings.

Simultaneously, Russia sustained a massive drone attack on its territory. The STERNENKO channel, which maintains a distinct pro-Ukrainian stance, reported that the Primorsk port, a major export hub in the Baltic Sea, suffered heavy damage to fuel tanks. According to the report, which cites satellite imagery, about 40% of the tank capacity at the site was damaged. Meanwhile, the "Operativnyi ZSU" channel noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 334 drones within Russian territory, a figure that was mocked by Ukrainian Telegram channels.

The attacks inside Russia also reached the Leningrad and Saint Petersburg regions, where air traffic disruptions were recorded at the main airports of "Pulkovo," "Vnukovo," and "Sheremetyevo," according to a Channel 24 report. While Russian governors reported on the successes of their defense systems, "Andriushchenko Time" described the event as "an absolute all-time record for the number of drones in an attack on Russia," and noted hits on a Gazprom gas plant in the Leningrad region.

The situation on the ground front remains difficult, as the "Suspilne Kharkiv" channel reports a busy 24 hours of Russian bombing on civilian targets and energy infrastructure throughout the Kharkiv region, including hits on gas stations and a residential area. "Politika.ua" concluded that this was one of the most intense nights in terms of the scope of aerial assets used since the beginning of the war.