The overnight assault

Russian forces struck multiple Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June, deploying 73 missiles and 656 long-range drones, according to the Ukrainian air force. The barrage hit Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kamianske, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 130. In Dnipro, a missile completely destroyed a residential building, leaving 16 dead, including two children and a rescue worker. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reported seven fatalities and 90 wounded in the capital, where the upper floors of a nine-storey apartment block collapsed.

“This was a large-scale attack and an absolutely clear declaration from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile attacks, these attacks will continue.”

A psychological campaign

Moscow had warned of imminent strikes for over a week, urging foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv. The Russian foreign ministry said it would retaliate for a 22 May Ukrainian drone attack on a student residence in Russian-controlled Luhansk that killed 21 people. In the days before the assault, Russian aircraft simulated large-scale raids, triggering air raid alerts and exhausting the population. Many families slept in metro stations and car parks for several nights. When the first drones crossed the border on Tuesday morning, shelters were already full.

“I thought I wouldn't survive this night. I had a hysterical fit and cried when the explosions were so strong they blew the door off the air raid shelter we were in.”

Weapons and defences

Russia used eight Zircon missiles, designed to sink aircraft carriers, and 33 ballistic missiles, which can only be intercepted by US-made Patriot systems. Ukrainian air defences shot down 40 missiles and 602 drones, but the current supply of air defence systems cannot intercept a significant portion of the incoming missiles, Zelensky said. He has repeatedly urged Washington to send additional Patriot interceptor batteries.

The wider war

This was the third major attack on Kyiv in less than a month. Russia's defence ministry said the targets were enterprises of Ukraine's military-industrial complex and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and six other regions. The strikes temporarily cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes in Kyiv and five other regions. Meanwhile, US-mediated talks on the war have stalled as Washington shifts focus to Iran. According to an AFP analysis of ISW data, Ukraine recaptured about 282 km² in May, reducing the area controlled by Moscow for a second consecutive month.

“Once again we underline that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international humanitarian law and must stop.”

What comes next

Zelensky said intelligence suggests Russian forces could attack again on the night of Tuesday. He urged citizens to heed air raid warnings. The mayor of Dnipro, Boris Filatov, said Russia used cluster munitions in the city to maximise casualties among civilians, police, and emergency personnel. The attack extended past dawn, with explosions hitting several cities and rescue teams pulling bodies from the rubble throughout the day.