Russia strikes Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight into 24 September; two killed in Kyiv
Russia launched a combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight into 24 September, with the main impacts in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Odesa Oblast. Morning drone follow-on strikes hit western and central oblasts including Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia. Air defence reported intercepting or suppressing 227 of more than 280 incoming weapons.
Key points
- Russia fired 282 missiles and drones overnight into 24 September; main targets were Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Odesa Oblast.
- As of 08:00, Ukraine's air defence reported 227 targets downed or suppressed.
- Intercepted types included four Zircon anti-ship missiles, three Iskander-M/S-400/KN-23 ballistic missiles, one Banderole/Dan-T missile, plus 219 Shahed, Gerbera and other drones.
- Hits were recorded at 13 locations, with debris from downed targets falling at 10 further locations.
- Two people were killed in Kyiv by a massed ballistic missile strike; preliminary information from regional officials said no casualties were reported in Rivne Oblast or in a residential building hit in Khmelnytskyi.
- Morning drone activity was tracked moving from Zhytomyr Oblast toward Rivne Oblast and across Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi oblasts after 10:00.
- Passenger trains toward Uzhhorod, Przemyśl, Lviv and Truskavets were delayed by 4–6 hours on the morning of 24 September.
- President Zelensky said about 60% of the ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv were shot down overnight.
Why it matters
The salvo of more than 280 missiles and drones in a single night ranks among the largest combined attacks of the war, hitting the capital and far-western oblasts well behind the front line. The presence of advanced systems such as Zircon and Iskander-M-class ballistic missiles, alongside massed Shahed-type drones, points to both the scale of Russian production and the sustained pressure on Ukraine's air-defence stocks. Civilian casualties in Kyiv and infrastructure damage across multiple regions, combined with disruption to rail traffic toward the Polish border, show how these strikes continue to affect daily life and logistics far from the contact line.
What happened
On the night of 23–24 September, Russia struck Ukraine with a combined package of 282 missiles and drones. The main directions of the overnight attack were Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Odesa Oblast. Ukraine's Air Force said that as of 08:00, air-defence units had downed or suppressed 227 targets. Among the intercepted weapons were four Zircon anti-ship missiles, three Iskander-M/S-400/KN-23 ballistic missiles, one Banderole/Dan-T missile and 219 Shahed, Gerbera and other drones. Hits were confirmed at 13 locations, and falling debris from downed targets was recorded at 10 further locations. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that around 60% of the ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv were shot down during the night. In Kyiv, where Russia struck massed ballistic missile salvos, two people were killed. In the morning, monitoring channels tracked further Russian drone activity, including jet-type drones, moving from Zhytomyr Oblast toward Rivne Oblast and across Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi oblasts after 10:00. In Rivne, an explosion was heard around 10:08 and the Air Force reported drones moving past Kostopil toward Lutsk in neighbouring Volyn Oblast; the head of the Rivne regional military administration said preliminary information indicated no casualties, though infrastructure was damaged. In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, which has been under drone attack since the night of 24 September, a direct hit on a residential multi-storey building was reported; preliminary information indicated no casualties there either.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets frame the event as an ongoing Russian attack stretching from the overnight hours into the morning, emphasising the geographic spread of the strikes from the capital to western oblasts far from the front line. Coverage highlights detail on air-defence interceptions and the specific types of incoming weapons, including advanced systems like Zircon and KN-23-class ballistic missiles. Ukrainian reporting foregrounds the two deaths in Kyiv while noting that, according to preliminary information from the heads of the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi regional military administrations, no casualties were reported in those oblasts despite direct hits on infrastructure and a residential building. Outlets also stress disruption to passenger rail services toward Uzhhorod, Przemyśl, Lviv and Truskavets, with reported delays of 4–6 hours.
Background
President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 60% of the ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv were shot down overnight. Air Force figures as of 08:00 placed the overnight salvo at 282 missiles and drones, of which 227 were reported downed or suppressed. Monitoring channels tracked drone movement from Zhytomyr Oblast toward Rivne Oblast and into Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi oblasts after 10:00.