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Zelensky: Russia Launched Over 2,000 Drones at Ukraine in a Week
Confirmed
In Short: President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Russian forces had launched over 2,000 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine over the past week, marking the largest drone attack of the war so far.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Russian forces had launched over 2,000 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine over the past week, marking the largest drone attack of the war so far.
Zelensky noted that the majority of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by Russia were turbojet-powered variants, which travel at higher speeds and present increased challenges for ground-based air defenses.
In the Vinnytsia region, Russian attack drones struck a railway infrastructure facility on Sunday, the State Emergency Service (SES) reported.
Writing on Facebook, Zelensky stated, “Ukraine is constantly looking for and finding ways to defend itself and respond to these strikes against life.”
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that Russian forces launched 138 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight from four launch vectors, deploying Shahed-type loitering munitions, Gerbera drones, and Parodiya decoys.
In Kyiv region, a mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed in a Russian drone strike that hit a private home, the emergency service said.
The head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, reported that the electronic voting system in Moscow was targeted by cyberattacks.
The Kremlin vowed to “intensify” strikes on Kyiv after accusing Ukraine of trying to disrupt Russia's state election with the largest drone attack of the war so far.
President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party was comfortably ahead in early results on Monday following a vote in which observers were turned away and genuine opposition banned.
Russia’s exiled opposition, including the widow of Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, called on anti-war Russians to cast their votes at noon on Sunday.
Some of them joined the “Noon for a Peaceful Russia” anti-war demonstration, holding anti-war and anti-Putin posters.
The Kremlin has tried to cast the parliamentary election as a test of support for its war in Ukraine, even as critics say there are few available avenues for genuine dissent.
What this adds
The report adds details about the types of drones used by Russia and their impact on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The news also highlights the cyberattacks on Russia's electronic voting system and the Kremlin's vow to intensify strikes on Kyiv.
WarpBeat previously reported that Belarus had reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including western regions bordering Poland.
Background
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces launched over 2,000 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine over the past week.
Belarus has reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including western regions bordering Poland, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
What's confirmed
- President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Russian forces had launched over 2,000 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine over the past week, marking the largest drone attack of the war so far.
- Zelensky noted that the majority of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by Russia were turbojet-powered variants, which travel at higher speeds and present increased challenges for ground-based air defenses.
- In the Vinnytsia region, Russian attack drones struck a railway infrastructure facility on Sunday, the State Emergency Service (SES) reported.
- The Ukrainian Air Force announced that Russian forces launched 138 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight from four launch vectors, deploying Shahed-type loitering munitions, Gerbera drones, and Parodiya decoys.
- In Kyiv region, a mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed in a Russian drone strike that hit a private home, the emergency service said.
- The head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, reported that the electronic voting system in Moscow was targeted by cyberattacks.
- The Kremlin vowed to “intensify” strikes on Kyiv after accusing Ukraine of trying to disrupt Russia's state election with the largest drone attack of the war so far.
- President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party was comfortably ahead in early results on Monday following a vote in which observers were turned away and genuine opposition banned.
- Russia’s exiled opposition, including the widow of Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, called on anti-war Russians to cast their votes at noon on Sunday.
- Some of them joined the “Noon for a Peaceful Russia” anti-war demonstration, holding anti-war and anti-Putin posters.
- The Kremlin has tried to cast the parliamentary election as a test of support for its war in Ukraine, even as critics say there are few available avenues for genuine dissent.
What's still developing
- Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces shot down a total of 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.
- This includes three men and two women, said Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, reported Ukraine National News.
- Russia turns away independent European observers as critics say election does not tolerate genuine dissent Russia turns away independent European observers as critics say election does not tolerate genuine dissent Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
- 19, where a Russian first-person view (FPV) drone struck an active male monastery in the village of Chervonyi Mayak within the Novoraisk community.
- "Every day and every night, we are defending ourselves against Russian attacks," Zelensky wrote on social media.
- In August, at least 372 civilians were killed and 2,349 were injured in Ukraine, the second-highest monthly figure in 2026, after July (448 killed; 2,675 injured), according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
- In response to Russian attacks, Zelensky said that he had approved new long-range operations on Sept. 19.
- In July, Zelensky said Kyiv had updated its list of priority targets and was capable of striking more than 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) inside Russia.
- "It is important that our partners also seek and find ways to make Russia feel the consequences of its war," Zelensky wrote.
- The U.S. State Department said on Sept. 18 that it had approved a possible $2.7 billion sale of air defense systems and related equipment and services to Ukraine.
- On Sept. 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York City during the UN General Assembly.
- “It was an important conversation, and we managed to discuss many things,” Zelensky said.