During the overnight attack on October 30, Russian forces used air-, sea-, and ground-launched missiles as well as attack drones, according to Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the Air Force Command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
“This time, the enemy used practically its entire range of weapons. Air-, sea-, and ground-launched missiles were deployed across various regions of our country. Unfortunately, ballistic missiles cannot be intercepted in areas without the necessary systems,” Ihnat said, noting that such a large-scale strike was last recorded in early October.
He added that missile and drone launches were carried out from multiple locations, including the Black Sea and Russia’s Kursk and Voronezh regions.
When asked how Russia had improved its aerial weapons, Ihnat explained that while its missiles had seen little change, the Shahed drones had undergone significant modifications.
“Upgrades are constantly being made to the Shahed-type attack drones, which the enemy began using in 2022. The Shahed has already undergone many major changes, making it more difficult to suppress with electronic warfare systems,” he said.
Ukraine’s air defense forces neutralized 623 out of 705 aerial targets launched by Russia from the evening of October 29 through the night of October 30. These included 592 Shahed and Herbera (and other types of) attack drones, seven Kalibr cruise missiles, one Iskander-K cruise missile, 21 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and two Kh-59/69 guided air missiles.
Direct hits were recorded from 16 missiles and 63 attack drones at 20 locations across Ukraine.
