Ballistic missiles on Kryvyi Rih, drones in Kyiv: Russia's record attack on Ukraine
Photo: Russia launched record number of drones into Ukraine on the night of February 23 (Getty Images)
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine ahead of the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion. The occupiers fired a record number of drones and used ballistic missiles.
What is known about the consequences of the massive shelling on the night of February 23 — detailed in the RBC-Ukraine report below.
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Russian drone launches over Ukraine were first reported on the evening of February 22. Later, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine warned about the threat of ballistic missile strikes and reported the movement of high-speed targets toward Kryvyi Rih.
As of the morning of February 23, Russia launched 267 strike drones and decoy UAVs against Ukraine. Additionally, the occupiers fired three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Crimea. This marks the largest number of drones launched by Russia in a single attack on Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense systems destroyed 138 drones, while 119 enemy decoy UAVs were lost due to localization failures. Three of them headed toward Belarus, and one flew back to Russia.
Air defense was active in the following regions: Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk.
Kyiv
The Russians targeted the Ukrainian capital with strike drones. Several air raid alerts were triggered in Kyiv, and residents reported hearing explosions.
Kyiv City Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko reported drone crashes and falling debris in several districts of the city.
According to the State Emergency Service (SES), damage was recorded in multiple areas of Kyiv.
- In the Holosiivskyi district, a private house caught fire. The 100-square-meter fire was extinguished.
- In the Darnytskyi district, a private house and several cars were damaged in one location. In another location, a one-story house caught fire, and the flames spread to a neighboring building. Firefighters contained the 35-square-meter fire.
- In the Pecherskyi district, a non-residential building was damaged.
Update as of 11:00 AM
Kyiv City Military Administration clarified that debris fell in four districts: Pecherskyi, Holosiivskyi, Darnytskyi, and Obolonskyi.
- Two private houses, multiple cars, and the roof of a Nova Poshta branch were damaged.
- Debris was also found on the territory of the Hryshko National Botanical Garden.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties.
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Kryvyi Rih
The occupiers launched a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih on the evening of February 22. According to the head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, the attack damaged civilian and infrastructure facilities.
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According to rescue services, the Russian strike caused a fire covering 60 square meters.
As a result of the attack in Kryvyi Rih, the Church of the First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was destroyed. The rector, Archpriest Dominian, told local media that one of the missiles hit the church building directly and was beyond repair.
Rescue workers saved a woman and a man, both of whom were hospitalized. Unfortunately, the man later died in the hospital.
As of this morning, the number of injured has risen to five—four women and one man. Three people remain in the hospital, with one woman in serious condition.
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Zaporizhzhia
The city of Zaporizhzhia was also hit by drones overnight. According to the Regional Military Administration, the attack caused fires in a residential area, and windows in several apartment buildings were damaged.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in a two-story house and a truck, which covered an area of 80 square meters. The blast wave and debris damaged nearby houses.
A 53-year-old woman was injured in the attack and hospitalized.
Odesa region
Late on the evening of February 22, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration reported that enemy strike drones targeted the Odesa district.
According to the State Emergency Service, a private house was damaged, and firefighters quickly extinguished fires.
Preliminary data indicates that three people were injured in the attack.
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Consequences in other regions
- Kyiv region: No critical infrastructure was hit. In the Bucha district, debris damaged four private houses. In the Vyshhorod district, debris caused grass fires.
- Sumy region: Air defense shot down five enemy drones.
- Cherkasy region: Air defense destroyed 27 Russian UAVs over the region. No hits were recorded.
- Khmelnytskyi region: The attack damaged a high-voltage power line, a road, building windows, and a store display. Air defense downed nine drones overnight.
