Russia conducted a large-scale overnight strike against Ukraine using multiple waves of drones and missiles, prompting nationwide air-raid alerts from late on 29 October into the morning of 30 October.

Ukrainian authorities reported the use of both cruise and aeroballistic missiles and warned that the western regions were a principal focus of the attack.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force and regional administrations, alerts were first triggered by incoming attack drones and were followed by warnings of Kalibr cruise missiles launched towards Ukrainian territory. Later, the Air Force reported launches of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles. The pattern of alerts suggested a sequencing of unmanned aerial vehicles ahead of missile salvos, a tactic Russia has used previously to test and saturate air defences.

By the early hours of 30 October, the Air Force and oblast authorities indicated that missiles were being steered towards the west of the country. Specific warnings were issued for Bukovyna (Chernivtsi region) and Prykarpattia (Ivano-Frankivsk region), with residents urged to remain in shelters during the passages. Local outlets in Ivano-Frankivsk reported explosions during the mass strike period, consistent with the official alerts.

Poland said it scrambled aircraft in response to the scale and trajectory of the attack overnight, a standard precaution when Russian missiles approach NATO airspace in the vicinity of the Alliance’s eastern flank. The Polish Armed Forces’ Operational Command confirmed the sortie activity in the morning. There were no reports of incursions into Polish airspace.

As at 08:00 local time, the drone phase of the operation was still ongoing, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Officials cautioned that alerts could recur as air defence tracking continued across multiple regions and additional waves could not be ruled out. Initial damage assessments were incomplete at the time of writing, and authorities indicated that updates would follow once clearance operations allowed inspection of impact sites.

The overnight sequence mirrored previous large-scale Russian strikes, combining loitering munitions with cruise and aeroballistic missiles to complicate interception. Kalibr cruise missiles are typically sea-launched and have been employed repeatedly against infrastructure and logistics targets across Ukraine since 2022. The Kinzhal, launched from aircraft, travels at high speed and follows a depressed trajectory, compressing reaction time for defenders. Ukrainian officials have previously noted the increased frequency of ballistic and aeroballistic launches during 2025.

Western regions have periodically been targeted throughout the conflict, with energy facilities, storage sites and transport nodes among the assets of interest. The alerts overnight covered a broad area, including Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk, and extended to neighbouring regions as trajectories evolved. Local authorities reiterated standard guidance on sheltering, advising residents to heed official channels and avoid publishing real-time locations of air defence activity or impact points.

Ukraine’s integrated air defence network, which includes mobile fire units and radar coverage across the country, engaged the threats through the night. The Air Force did not immediately publish a shoot-down tally for drones or missiles from the latest attack. In previous mass strikes, the Air Force has released interception figures only after post-engagement verification. Officials also emphasised that any debris falling after intercepts can pose hazards, particularly to residential areas located beneath flight paths.

Regional energy operators cautioned that emergency or stabilisation outages could occur if facilities were struck or if grid managers opted to rebalance load during the alert window. In past attacks, local authorities in western regions have introduced temporary schedules to manage demand and preserve system stability pending damage assessments. As of this morning, operators were still determining whether any contingency measures would be required following the latest volleys. (This reflects standard procedures observed during earlier mass attacks; formal notices for 30 October were pending at the time of publication.)

The scale of Russia’s long-range strikes has varied across 2025, but Ukrainian officials have highlighted the cumulative pressure imposed by repeated combinations of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated last week that hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of Kinzhal missiles have been launched against Ukraine this year, underscoring the continuing threat to infrastructure and civilian areas.

Authorities urged the public to follow official Telegram channels of the Air Force and regional military administrations for verified updates, including the all-clear notices that mark the end of a given alert cycle. Residents were also advised to refrain from publishing images or video of air defence positions or missile routes until after events conclude, in line with operational security guidance consistently reiterated since the outset of the full-scale invasion.

Further information on casualties, damage and the number and types of munitions intercepted is expected once the current alert phase ends and clearance teams complete initial site checks. For now, the principal focus remains on maintaining situational awareness as the overnight strike transitions into daytime monitoring and recovery operations.

First published on eutoday.net.