Mohan Sinha
01 Oct 2026

KYIV, Ukraine: Russia launched ballistic missiles and dozens of jet-powered drones at Kyiv on September 29, as Ukraine faced another major overnight attack that damaged homes and infrastructure and added pressure on its stretched air-defense system.

The Russian attacks have increasingly included new jet-powered drones that fly too fast and at too high an altitude for Ukraine's ground-based air defenses to intercept easily.

Ukraine is trying to respond by developing faster interceptor drones. The war has driven rapid military innovation on both sides, but producing and deploying new weapons takes time.

Russia has also managed to break through with ballistic missiles. Ukraine is facing a serious shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air-defense interceptor missiles, which are considered the only reliable system for stopping Russia's ballistic missile attacks.

Ukraine's Patriot supplies are low, in part because of the war in Iran. Kyiv has received only a small number of missiles this year despite repeated requests from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian officials said their air defenses had destroyed two ballistic missiles overnight, suggesting that some additional Patriot systems or missiles may have recently arrived.

"Russia's terror against Ukraine is intensifying by the day," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X, describing the attacks as an escalation rather than a response to Ukraine's offers to stop fighting and negotiate.

Moscow says it wants a broad peace agreement that would include Ukraine giving up territory, a condition Kyiv has rejected before agreeing to a ceasefire.

U.S. efforts to broker an end to the war over the past year have made little progress. Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev traveled to Washington on September 28 to meet with U.S. officials to discuss ending the conflict and potential U.S.-Russia energy cooperation after the war, according to a U.S. official familiar with the visit.

Ukraine's air-defense needs are becoming more urgent as winter approaches. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, attacks on Ukraine's power network have increased during the colder months. The strikes have at times left civilians without heating, electricity and running water.

Ihor Klymenko, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said on September 29 that Ukraine was rapidly increasing production of locally made interceptor systems designed to stop Russian jet-powered drones. Some of the new systems are already being tested and used by combat units.

The need is urgent because Kyiv has faced almost continuous attacks. Klymenko said the city had experienced more than 235 air-raid alerts since August 27, totaling 261 hours.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces struck data-processing centers in Kyiv that Moscow claims are used by the Ukrainian military, which has been making greater use of artificial intelligence in combat.

The ministry also reported strikes on sites in Kyiv and the surrounding region where drones and cruise missiles were stored. It said an electrical substation and a drone production facility were also targeted, along with port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region.

Ukrainian authorities said the attacks damaged apartment buildings, houses and public transport in Kyiv and injured one person.

In Odesa, eight people were injured overnight. Local officials said residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a school, an animal shelter and port facilities were damaged.

Ukraine has continued carrying out attacks inside Russia despite the Russian bombardment. Its long-range drones have targeted factories producing missiles and drones, as well as launch sites. Ukrainian attacks have also hit Russian oil refineries, contributing to fuel shortages.