MOSCOW — In a dramatic overnight escalation, Russian forces unleashed a coordinated long-range strike targeting critical Ukrainian military infrastructure using a combination of air, sea, and land-based assets. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the operation included the deployment of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, and loitering munitions aimed at degrading what it described as Ukraine’s NATO-backed war apparatus.
The Russian military claimed that dozens of targets were hit, including Ukrainian airfields, arms production plants, command centers, ammunition warehouses, and temporary deployment points housing both Ukrainian servicemen and foreign fighters. The precision strikes, reportedly conducted by Tu-95MS bombers and MiG-31K aircraft, were said to have achieved all objectives. The scale and timing of the offensive suggest a strategic effort to cripple Ukrainian combat logistics ahead of any potential counteroffensive.
Moscow insisted the strike was a response to Kyiv’s recent cross-border incursions and acts of sabotage against Russian civilian infrastructure. The Ministry emphasized that “no civilian objects were targeted,” a statement echoed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who described the operation as legally and morally justified under Russia’s right to self-defense.
In the official operational summary issued hours later, Russia claimed its armed forces inflicted over 1,200 casualties on Ukrainian units in a single day, destroyed an array of Western-supplied systems, including HIMARS rockets, US-built Patriot missile components, and over 390 drones, and continued gaining ground across multiple sectors of the front. It also reported the destruction of an underground weapons cache belonging to Ukraine’s National Guard near Ivano-Frankivsk and a training site in Sumy region.
On the domestic front, Russia’s air defenses were put on high alert, intercepting dozens of Ukrainian drones targeting border and interior regions including Moscow, Bryansk, Tula, Kaluga, and Rostov. Footage released by Russian state media showed remnants of intercepted UAVs and military convoys mobilizing near affected zones.
Despite the military escalation, signs of possible diplomatic re-engagement surfaced late Monday. Kremlin officials confirmed that talks mediated by Türkiye could resume this week in Istanbul. While the composition of the Russian delegation has not been finalized, Moscow signaled its willingness to return to negotiations under Turkish auspices.
According to RIA Novosti, which published detailed accounts of the operation and subsequent defense ministry statements, the strikes were described as the most comprehensive Russian aerial and drone assault since the start of summer. As noted by RIA’s military desk, the offensive marks a renewed Russian doctrine of “strategic attrition,” aimed at permanently disrupting Ukraine’s Western-backed military production capabilities and command infrastructure.
