Russia unleashes 400-drone daytime barrage across Ukraine in escalation

Kyiv — Russia launched more than 400 drones at Ukraine on Tuesday in a rare daytime assault, Ukraine’s air force said, with air defences activated over multiple regions including the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv.

Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told Reuters the large-scale drone attack marked an unusual shift in timing, as such strikes are typically carried out at night to complicate interception efforts.

Local authorities said air defence systems were engaged in repelling incoming drones near Kyiv, while explosions were also reported around Lviv, a city located close to the Polish border.

Officials indicated that Ukrainian forces were responding simultaneously across different regions, suggesting a coordinated wave of aerial threats aimed at stretching air defence capabilities.

The extent of damage and casualties was not immediately clear, and authorities have not yet released a full assessment of the impact.

The daytime nature of the strike represents a departure from established Russian attack patterns during the conflict, where nocturnal drone and missile barrages have been more common.

Analysts say such a shift could signal an attempt to test Ukraine’s air defence readiness under different operational conditions or to increase psychological pressure on civilian populations.

The attack comes amid continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides intensifying aerial operations in recent months.