Russia hits Ukraine with missiles, loitering munitions and 108 drones overnight; three killed in Kharkiv
Russia launched a combined overnight air attack on Ukraine on October 12–13, firing five Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, nine Banderole/Dan-T loitering munitions and 108 strike drones — most of the Shahed type, many jet-powered — from multiple Russian and occupied-Ukrainian directions. Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 88 of the drones, but direct hits were recorded at 17 locations and falling debris at another seven. A multi-storey block in the city's Kholodnohirskyi district suffered a collapsed entrance section; three people were killed and others injured.
Key points
- Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on October 12–13 with 5 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 9 Banderole/Dan-T loitering munitions and 108 strike drones (Shahed, Gerbera and 'Parodia' decoys).
- 74 of the 108 drones were jet-powered; launches came from Oryol, Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia and from occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea; the ballistic missiles were launched from Russia's Bryansk Oblast.
- As of 08:00, Ukrainian air defense had shot down or suppressed 88 of the drones, including 58 jet-powered ones.
- Direct hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 17 locations; falling debris from downed targets was recorded at 7 more.
- A Russian strike on a multi-storey building in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district on the evening of October 12 collapsed an entire entrance section.
- Three people were killed and 11 injured in Kharkiv; one person was injured in Dnipro.
- A UAV struck a residential building in the village of Muravane near Lviv with no casualties reported; explosions were heard in Kyiv and its outskirts late on October 12.
Why it matters
The strike combined ballistic missiles, loitering munitions and a large drone salvo launched from at least five directions, underlining the continued scale and diversification of Russia's nightly air campaign. Even though air defense intercepted the large majority of drones, hits and falling debris caused damage at more than 20 locations, including the reported collapse of an entire entrance of a residential building in Kharkiv. Civilian casualties were recorded in at least two cities — Kharkiv (fatalities and injuries) and Dnipro (one injury) — underscoring the continued risk to civilians far from the front line.
What happened
In the night of October 13, starting from 18:00 on October 12, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with five Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles launched from Russia's Bryansk Oblast, nine Banderole/Dan-T loitering munitions, and 108 strike UAVs of types Shahed, Gerbera and 'Parodia' drone decoys. Of the 108 drones, 74 were jet-powered. They were launched from the directions of Oryol, Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as from temporarily occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea.
As of 08:00 on October 13, Ukraine's air defense had shot down or suppressed 88 of the drones, including 58 jet-powered ones. The defense effort involved aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of Ukraine's Defense Forces. Despite the interceptions, hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 17 locations and falling debris from downed targets at seven more, and the attack was still ongoing as of 08:00 with several Russian drones remaining in the air.
Loitering munitions hit the city of Kharkiv, with some failing to reach their targets. On the evening of October 12, a Russian strike caused significant destruction to a multi-storey building in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district — an entire entrance (stairwell) collapsed — killing three people and injuring 11. One person was injured in Dnipro. In Lviv Oblast, an air raid was declared overnight because of the threat of jet-powered drone strikes, and a downed UAV fell on a residential building in the village of Muravane near Lviv with no casualties reported. Late on the evening of October 12, explosions were heard in Kyiv and its outskirts, after which the Air Force reported a "high-speed target heading for Kyiv."
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All sources covering the attack are Ukrainian outlets. They frame it as Russian aggression and emphasize the scale and diversity of the incoming weapons — ballistic missiles, loitering munitions and a large drone salvo launched from multiple Russian and occupied-Ukrainian directions. Coverage centers on the performance of Ukrainian air defense, giving prominence to the count of drones shot down or suppressed and to the makeup of the defending forces (aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, EW units, mobile fire groups). Local consequences are highlighted in detail: the collapse of an entrance in a multi-storey building in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district, civilian casualties in Kharkiv and Dnipro, a downed UAV falling on a residence in Muravane near Lviv, and explosions heard in Kyiv.
Where reporting differs
Casualty figures from the October 12 evening strike on Kharkiv differ between sources. One account reports three killed and 11 injured, while another, citing Kharkiv authorities, reports at least seven injured without specifying fatalities.
Background
Loitering munitions have been a recurring component of Russia's nightly strikes and are frequently directed against Kharkiv, a city near the Russian border that has endured repeated attacks. Air defense operations in Ukraine are performed by multiple branches of the country's Defense Forces, including aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups. The overnight attack was still ongoing as of 08:00 on October 13, with several Russian drones reportedly remaining in Ukrainian airspace at that time.