In one of the largest aerial offensives of the full-scale war, Russia launched a wave of 194 air attack weapons against Ukraine overnight into June 15, according to the country’s Air Force. Ukrainian defence systems intercepted 167 of them, in what is being described as a “multi-vector strike” centred on the Poltava region and the city of Kremenchuk.
The attack began after 8pm on June 14 and involved a swarm of 183 drones, mostly Shahed-type, launched from various Russian regions including Kursk, Bryansk, Oryol and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. In addition to the drones, Russia fired:
- Two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles from Astrakhan region
- One Iskander-M ballistic missile from Kursk
- Four Iskander-K cruise missiles from Rostov
- Four Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea
Kremenchuk was the primary target, where direct strikes and falling debris caused damage to energy, agricultural and civilian infrastructure, including private homes and vehicles. Fires broke out but were quickly contained by emergency services.
Ukrainian air defences, involving fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile systems, electronic warfare units and mobile fire teams, managed to shoot down 119 aerial targets and jam or disorient an additional 48. Among those downed:
- 111 Shahed-type and other drones
- 2 Kinzhal missiles
- 3 Iskander-K cruise missiles
- 3 Kalibr cruise missiles
Despite the scale of the bombardment, Ukrainian authorities reported no casualties as of Saturday morning.
The attack marks a notable escalation in the use of mixed tactics, combining ballistic, cruise and loitering munitions across a wide geography. It comes amid ongoing concerns about the strain on Ukraine’s air defence resources as Russia ramps up pressure ahead of a potential summer offensive.
“Hold the sky,” the Air Force’s message concluded, echoing a now-familiar wartime refrain in Ukraine: “Together – until victory.”