Russian missiles and drones kill at least 22 in overnight barrage across Ukraine
Russia launched 73 missiles and 656 drones at multiple Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 22 people and wounding over 100, with Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv hardest hit.
Massive overnight attack
Russia launched a coordinated air assault on Ukraine in the early hours of 2 June, firing 73 missiles and more than 650 drones at targets across the country. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 40 of the missiles and 602 of the drones, but dozens struck their marks in Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv. Moscow's Defence Ministry claimed the strikes were aimed solely at military and industrial sites, yet residential neighbourhoods and medical facilities were hit.
- Missiles launched
- 73
- Missiles intercepted
- 40
- Drones launched
- 656
- Drones intercepted
- 602
Civilian toll and scenes of destruction
At least 22 people were killed across Ukraine, according to the latest tallies, with over 100 wounded. In the capital, mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people died and 65 were injured, including three children. Dnipro reported 15 dead, including two children, while Kharkiv counted 14 wounded. Thousands took shelter in metro stations.
A man in Kharkiv described how a curtain saved him from flying glass.I was lucky. The explosion affected me, but only superficially. Now I have nowhere to go. My apartment is destroyed.
Authorities in the Kharkiv region ordered the evacuation of 7,000 civilians.Fortunately I had a good curtain that held back some of the glass shards. So I can say overall we're doing rather well.
Air defence and international pleas
Despite the heavy interception rate, the sheer volume of incoming fire overwhelmed Ukrainian defences, particularly the ballistic missiles that are harder to shoot down. President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed urgent calls for more Western air defence systems, highlighting the country's vulnerability after months of attrition. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister branded Vladimir Putin a war criminal, stating:
Putin is a war criminal and a loser whose only card is terror.
Tit-for-tat escalation
The attacks came amid a record number of Russian drone launches in May, and after Moscow warned foreign embassies in Kyiv of impending strikes. On the same day, a Ukrainian drone killed a civilian in Russia's Kursk region, and a fire broke out at the Ilski oil refinery in Krasnodar following a drone strike. The exchange underscores a broader intensification of long-range attacks on both sides.
