Ukraine intercepts 96 drones in massive overnight Russian assault

Ukraine's Air Force confirmed on October 30 that Russian forces struck the country with a combined wave of ballistic missiles, four Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles, and 113 drones during the night of October 29 and the early morning of October 30. The defense systems neutralized 96 of the unmanned aerial vehicles and three of the guided missiles.

The Air Force stated that air defense units downed or jammed 99 enemy targets in total. The intercepted drones included 71 jet-powered Shaheds, Gerberas, and Parodiya decoys. The service noted that combat operations remained ongoing as several attack drones stayed in the air as of 07:30.

Russian launch sites for the ballistic missiles were located in the Voronezh, Kursk, and Bryansk oblasts. The specific missile types, which may have included Iskander-M, S-400, or KN-23 systems, were not quantified in the initial report. The Kh-59/69 missiles originated from Belgorod Oblast.

The drone launch points were spread across multiple Russian and occupied territories. Forces fired from Oryol, Kursk, and Shatalovo, as well as from temporarily occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea. The primary targets for the attack were the Kyiv, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Impact from the strike was recorded at 17 locations, with debris falling at five additional sites. In Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district, the overnight barrage left one person killed and another injured. Parts of Dnipro and adjacent areas lost power supply after Russian attacks on main power grids in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on October 29.

Ukrainian defense forces deployed aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare assets, and mobile fire groups to repel the assault. The Air Force coordinated these mobile fire groups and unmanned systems units to track and engage incoming targets across the affected regions.