Russia launches combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on October 28 with one ballistic “Iskander-M”/S-400 missile and 88 drones, including 38 reactive drones. By 08:00, Ukrainian air defenses had shot down or suppressed 71 drones, but several remained airborne and fighting was continuing. Impacts were recorded at eight locations, while a strike on Kharkiv reportedly injured five people, including a four-year-old child.
Key points
- Russia launched one ballistic “Iskander-M”/S-400 missile from Taganrog and 88 drones overnight on October 28.
- The drones were launched from the directions of Oryol, Kursk and occupied Crimea.
- The attack included Shahed, S8000 “Banderol”/“Dan-T”, “Herbera” and decoy drones; 38 of the 88 drones were reactive.
- Ukrainian forces had shot down or suppressed 71 of the 88 drones by 08:00, including 31 reactive drones.
- Several drones were still airborne at 08:00, and combat operations were continuing.
- Air-defense efforts involved aviation, surface-to-air missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned-system units, and mobile fire groups.
- Impacts were recorded at eight locations; a strike on Kharkiv reportedly injured five people, including a four-year-old child.
Why it matters
The combined use of a ballistic missile and a large drone salvo created simultaneous threats to air-defense resources and populated areas. Although Ukraine neutralized 71 of 88 reported drones by 08:00, several targets remained airborne. Impacts were recorded at eight locations, and a residential-building fire and injuries in Kharkiv highlighted the attack’s civilian consequences.
What happened
Russia began the overnight attack with one “Iskander-M”/S-400 ballistic missile launched from Taganrog. It then launched 88 drones from the directions of Oryol, Kursk and occupied Crimea. The salvo included Shahed drones, S8000 “Banderol”/“Dan-T”, “Herbera” drones and decoys; 38 drones were reactive. Ukrainian aviation, surface-to-air missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned-system units, and mobile fire groups engaged the incoming targets.
According to the Air Force, 71 drones had been shot down or suppressed by 08:00 on October 28. Of those, 31 were reactive, while the rest included “Herbera” and other types. Several attack drones remained airborne at the time, and fighting was still underway. Impacts were recorded at eight locations, and falling debris was reported at two locations.
In Kharkiv, the attack reportedly caused a fire in an apartment building and injured five people, including a four-year-old child.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes the air-defense result of 71 drones neutralized by 08:00 and the participation of aviation, missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups. It also foregrounds the recorded impacts, falling debris and continued engagement with drones still in the air. The consequences in Kharkiv were described as a residential fire and injuries to five people, including a four-year-old child.
Where reporting differs
One report says defenders shot down 77 drones, while the Air Force figures in the other reports state that 71 of the 88 drones were shot down or suppressed by 08:00.
Background
The overnight attack began with the launch of one “Iskander-M”/S-400 ballistic missile from Taganrog. The 88 drones were launched from the directions of Oryol, Kursk and occupied Crimea and included Shahed, S8000 “Banderol”/“Dan-T”, “Herbera” and decoy drones. Ukrainian air defense involved aviation, surface-to-air missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned-system units, and mobile fire groups.