Ukraine's air force said on Friday that Russian forces have been mounting a rolling aerial assault that began on Thursday evening and continued into the following day, with a large number of enemy drones operating over Ukrainian territory.
Air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat, speaking on state television, described the operation as part of an evolving pattern. "We can see that the enemy is using new routes, new drones which they are constantly modernising, and new tactics," he said. Ihnat added that in the past 24 hours Russia had launched more than 400 long-range drones and fired ten ballistic missiles that primarily struck areas near the frontline.
Officials noted that the most recent bombardment mirrors an attack earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities said a nocturnal barrage of over 300 drones was followed by another wave of similar size during the middle of the day - an assault that killed at least four people.
Large-scale Russian bombardments have widespread effects across Ukraine, prompting closures of many government offices, public transport services and businesses for the duration of the strikes, which can last multiple hours. Ihnat said the attacks impose pressure on civilians and institutions: "The enemy is exerting (pressure) on our population, paralysing the work of certain public institutions, as well as learning institutions," he said.
In the eastern Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Synehubov reported on social media that missile, bomb and drone strikes over the past 24 hours resulted in one fatality and 25 wounded. That tally included four ballistic missiles that hit the regional capital, also called Kharkiv, overnight. Authorities reported only one injury from that specific overnight missile strike.
The air force's description of renewed, repeated strikes underlines Kyiv's assessment that adversaries are testing and adapting flight paths, drone types and timing to find ways through air defences. Local officials continue to report civilian harm and service disruptions tied to the assaults.
Reporting notes
The timeline described above is based on official statements from Ukraine's air force and regional authorities. Details released by those officials include the count of drones and missiles, casualty figures and the observed sequence of overnight followed by daytime attacks.