Russia hits Ukraine with ballistic missiles and 167 drones overnight; air defence downs 128 UAVs
Russia struck Ukraine overnight on 4–5 September with Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 167 strike and decoy drones launched from multiple Russian and occupied- Crimean sites. As of 08:30 on 5 September, Ukrainian air defence had downed or suppressed 128 drones. Hits were recorded at 23 locations, with casualties reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Mykolaiv oblasts.
Key points
- Russia launched Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Rostov and Voronezh oblasts and 167 strike and decoy drones (Shahed, Gerbera, Parody) from directions including occupied Donetsk and Crimea.
- As of 08:30 on 5 September, Ukrainian air defence had downed or suppressed 128 hostile UAVs.
- Hits by missiles and drones were recorded at 23 locations; debris from downed targets fell at one additional location.
- Four people were killed and five injured in a strike on an enterprise in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
- Two people were injured and fires broke out at warehouses and residential buildings in Kyiv Oblast.
- Two women were wounded in a strike on Boryspil.
- A strike on a shopping centre in Mykolaiv injured two people and caused a fire.
Why it matters
The overnight attack was a combined ballistic-missile and mass-drone salvo that tested Ukraine's layered air defence under sustained pressure. Reported casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Mykolaiv oblasts show the human and material cost of such strikes. The use of Shahed strike drones alongside Gerbera and Parody decoy types highlights Russia's growing tactic of mixing real threats with decoys to overwhelm and deplete Ukrainian air-defence resources.
What happened
During the night of 4–5 September (from 18:00 on 4 September), Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine. Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were fired from Rostov and Voronezh oblasts. Russia also deployed 167 strike and decoy drones — Shahed-type (about half jet-powered), Gerbera, and Parody-type decoys — launched from the directions of Oryol, Millerovo, Kursk, temporarily occupied Donetsk, and Hvardiiske in temporarily occupied Crimea.
As of 08:30 on 5 September, Ukrainian air defence had shot down or suppressed 128 of the enemy UAVs. Hits by Russian missiles and strike drones were recorded at 23 locations, and debris from downed targets fell at one additional location. Some munitions did not reach their targets, and information on them was being clarified.
Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned-systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defence Forces responded to the attack. At the time of the Air Force's report, the strike was still ongoing, with enemy drones remaining in Ukrainian airspace.
Casualties and damage were reported in several oblasts: four people killed and five injured in a strike on an enterprise in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; two injured and fires at warehouses and residential buildings in Kyiv Oblast; two women wounded in Boryspil; and two injured and a fire after a strike on a shopping centre in Mykolaiv.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All available sources for this event are Ukrainian media and agencies. Their coverage uniformly centres on the Ukrainian Air Force's tally of downed drones, the locations of hits, and civilian casualties in specific oblasts. Ukrainian-language reporting consistently frames the attack as Russian aggression, specifies the missile and drone types used, and highlights the defensive performance of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
Background
The strike drew on launch sites spread across Russian territory and occupied areas — Rostov, Voronezh, Oryol, Millerovo, Kursk, occupied Donetsk, and occupied Crimea — reflecting the range of platforms Russia can field in a single wave. Ukraine's response combined aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare, unmanned systems and mobile fire groups, the standard multi-layered counter to mixed missile-drone salvos.