Russia launched another massive drone and missile attack across Ukraine early Thursday morning, Feb. 26, striking multiple regions and damaging residential buildings and infrastructure.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, large numbers of drones were detected over Ukraine shortly after 1 a.m. At 3:52 a.m., Russia launched ballistic missiles toward Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Overnight, Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers also took off to fire cruise missiles. By 5:25 a.m., the missiles had entered Ukrainian airspace, primarily heading toward Kyiv.
Kyiv
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that damage was recorded in three districts: Darnytskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Pecherskyi.
In Darnytskyi district, falling debris caused a blast wave that damaged windows and doors in a first-floor apartment of a nine-story building. No fire was reported.
In Holosiivskyi district, garages caught fire due to falling debris.
In Pecherskyi district, a private house caught fire.
All fires were later extinguished. No casualties were reported in the capital.
Kharkiv
Russia attacked Kharkiv with 17 drones and two missiles. Damage was recorded in four districts of the city.
In Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, apartment buildings and private homes were damaged, overhead power lines were torn down, and a gas pipeline was severed.
In Saltivskyi district, a private house was destroyed. In Slobidskyi district, another private home was completely destroyed and a fire broke out at the impact site. One strike hit the city’s Central Park.
Local authorities said nine people were injured in Kharkiv. Including casualties from shelling in the village of Rai-Olenivka, the total number of injured rose to 14, among them one child.
Zaporizhzhia
Zaporizhzhia was also heavily targeted overnight by drones. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said 19 apartment buildings, four private houses, and several non-residential buildings were damaged.
Two shopping centers were hit, including an Epicenter store.
More than 500 homes were left without heating as of Thursday morning.
The State Emergency Service (DSNS) reported that in one nine-story building, apartments on the seventh and eighth floors caught fire. In another building, apartments, balconies, and windows were damaged without further burning. A private house was also damaged.
A fire broke out in one shopping center over an area of 60 square meters, while another suffered roof damage.
Fedorov initially reported six injuries but later DSNS clarified that nine people wounded.
The DSNS later reported that the number of injured had increased to 10 people, including an 8-year-old child, five women and four men.
“All of them received the necessary medical care. Most are being treated on an outpatient basis,” the statement said.
Emergency and rescue operations have now been completed. Rescuers extinguished all fires and inspected the affected area, while municipal services have begun restoration work at the scene.
Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region was attacked by drones overnight, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s Defense Council.
Around 10 residential buildings were damaged, including one five-story building that sustained severe roof damage. A kindergarten, fire station, administrative buildings, and vehicles were also affected.
Two elderly residents - an 89-year-old man and an 83-year-old woman - were injured.
Reported targets
Monitoring Telegram channels reported that targets may have included substations, an airfield, a combined heat and power plant (CHP), a thermal power plant (TPP), and a military-industrial facility.
The main areas targeted were Kharkiv and its region, Mykolaiv region, Vinnytsia and surrounding areas, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and the Kyiv region, Kryvyi Rih, frontline areas of Donetsk region, and Poltava.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, Russia launched a large-scale air assault using two Zircon anti-ship missiles, 11 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 24 Kh-101 cruise missiles (launched from Russia’s Vologda Oblast), and two Kh-69 guided air-to-surface missiles.
Moscow also deployed 420 Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas attack UAVs and other types of drones, about 280 of which were Shahed drones.
The attack was repelled by Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, as well as mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces.
As of 10 a.m., air defenses had shot down or suppressed two Zircon missiles, four Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 24 Kh-101 cruise missiles, two Kh-69 guided missiles, and 374 Russian UAVs.
At the same time, five ballistic missiles and 46 strike UAVs were recorded hitting 32 locations. Debris from intercepted targets fell in 15 additional locations. Information regarding several missiles is still being clarified.
President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the overnight attack on Telegram.
“Russia once again targeted critical infrastructure and ordinary residential buildings… Destruction has been recorded in eight regions: many private homes and apartment buildings were damaged. As of now, dozens of people are known to have been injured as a result of this attack, including children,” he wrote.
According to Zelensky, the strikes also hit gas infrastructure in the Poltava region and electrical substations in the Kyiv and Dnipro regions. Rescue operations were conducted in the Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, and Kyiv regions, as well as in the capital.
“Most of the missiles launched today were shot down thanks to the fact that our partners promptly delivered air defense missiles agreed upon during the last Ramstein meeting. But, unfortunately, there were also strikes,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that Ukraine must continue strengthening its air defense capabilities.
“The cold has not fully receded, and air defense missiles are needed every day while Russia continues trying to destroy our energy sector,” the president added.
Drone violates Romanian airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine
A drone briefly entered Romanian airspace on Wednesday, Feb. 25, during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, Digi24 reported.
At around 6:15 p.m., residents of Tulcea County in northern Romania received a Ro-Alert warning following reports of renewed Russian shelling near the border and the detection of an aerial target approaching Romanian territory.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense (MApN) confirmed that radar systems tracked a drone that briefly crossed into national airspace.
Earlier, at 5:50 p.m., two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from the Fetești Air Base to monitor the situation. According to the ministry, the drone entered Romanian airspace near the settlement of Sfântu Gheorghe and exited north of Sulina, continuing over territorial waters in the Black Sea. Authorities said there was no threat to human life.
The defense ministry strongly condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
“These actions constitute a serious violation of international law and pose a threat to regional security,” the ministry said in a statement.