Massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine. Kyiv's retaliatory strikes paralyzed Moscow airports

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation launched a massive aerial attack on Ukrainian territory, shocking with its ruthlessness. Data collected on Thursday morning indicates that the aggressor's armed forces used an arsenal of tremendous destructive power. Ukrainian air defense had to face an exceptionally strong operational wave targeting not only infrastructure of strategic importance but, above all, densely populated residential areas. 300 dronów — formed the core of the night's strike wave The targets of the night and morning bombardments were key metropolises. The strikes severely damaged multi-story buildings in Kyiv itself, causing dangerous fires. Alarming reports also came from other territories, mainly Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy Oblast. According to preliminary reports from rescue services, the massive attack caused the death of at least one person in Kyiv Oblast, and several others across the country sustained injuries requiring hospitalization. Rescuers warn that searching the rubble will take many hours. Concerned for the absolute security of its own national borders, Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces ordered the urgent scrambling of patrol fighter jets. The military immediately raised combat readiness to maximum, and radar closely monitored missile movements near the homeland's airspace. Since February 24, 2022, massive airstrikes targeting the population have become a hallmark element of the Russian war machine at the onset of each winter and on key symbolic dates. Moscow regularly violates international law, pursuing this grim strategy to extinguish social resistance and bring about an energy apocalypse for its western neighbor.Simultaneously, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued their advanced offensive, precisely striking enemy base points on the ground. The massive retaliatory actions were constructed based on the so-called asymmetric strike strategy. Using improved combat drone models, Ukrainian intelligence accurately selected profitable segments of the Russian extraction industry. The drone attack caused a fire at the strategic Kaleykino oil pumping station in Tatarstan, a key node of the Druzhba pipeline. Although the fire was visible from many kilometers away, the scale of damage to the transmission infrastructure is still being verified by independent experts. Fire on such investments cuts off key Kremlin funds derived from the uninterrupted global trade of energy resources. „Nelle ultime ore colpiti da 300 droni e 50 missili.” (In the last hours, hit by 300 drones and 50 missiles.) — Volodymyr Zelenskyy Pushing the line of flames deeper into the heart of the power results in dramatic paralysis on the invaders' territory. Enemy drone flights observed over the capital's immediate vicinity forced the federal aviation administration to impose radical restrictions. A vast airspace zone was abruptly closed, preventing flight operations at renowned passenger hubs on Moscow's outskirts. Russian arsenal used during the night against Ukrainian targets: Attack drones: 300, Missiles and ballistic missiles: 50The scale of the mutual exchange of blows highlighted for Western decision-makers the burning complexity of this devastating war. The plight of Ukrainian metropolitan residents serves as painful proof of the lack of a protective umbrella formed based on the Patriot missile defense shield and the delivery of further fighter jets from Western platforms. Nevertheless, the determination of the isolated defenders generates admiration in the intelligence military analyses of the North Atlantic alliance. Through the tough response in central Russia, the Ukrainian military clearly demonstrated that it is a capable and demanding military entity that does not allow itself to be pushed back a single step in this war's diplomatic asymmetry. Future nights, however, may herald additional escalation dynamics.