Russian drone and missile barrage devastates Kyiv overnight
During the night of April 23 to 24, Kyiv was subjected to a massive missile and drone attack by Russia. According to United24 journalists, Kalibr missiles and Shahed drones were used. As a result of the attack, 9 people died, and 70 were injured, 54 of whom were hospitalized.
Russian forces launched approximately six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and six Kalibr cruise missiles toward Ukraine's capital. The attack led to destroyed buildings and cars engulfed in flames. In one district of the city, a fire broke out in a residential building, trapping people under the rubble.
Russian attacks on Ukraine
The attack on Kyiv is part of a larger Russian offensive targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Besides the capital, the shelling also affected Kharkiv and Pavlohrad. In Kharkiv, there were three hits by cruise missiles, and in Pavlohrad, two Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles and three cruise missiles were reported. The weapons were transported by Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers, whose presence in the region's airspace was confirmed by the Ukrainian military.
During the attack, the Russians also used Shahed drones. These drones, also known as Geran-2 in Russian military nomenclature, have become one of the most recognizable tools Russia employs in its invasion of Ukraine. Shaheds are the product of Iranian military engineering. Constructed by the Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), they were designed for asymmetric conflicts and low-cost warfare.
The version most commonly used by Russia is the Shahed-136—an unmanned kamikaze aircraft designed to hit a designated target and detonate its warhead. Moscow has never officially admitted to receiving weapons from Tehran. Still, abundant evidence—from debris found after attacks to intelligence from Western countries—confirms that Russia receives Shaheds directly from Iran or through joint production within Russian territory, in factories located in Tatarstan.
The technical specifications of the Shahed-136 may not be impressive, but the scale effect is significant. The drone is approximately 11 feet long and has a wingspan of about 8 feet. It is powered by a simple piston engine that allows it to achieve a cruising speed of about 112 mph and a range of up to 1,550 miles. This range is sufficient to reach deep into Ukrainian territory from southern Russia, bypassing major air defense lines.
The drone's construction, made of composites and wood, makes it difficult to detect using conventional radars. Its low cost—estimated at a few thousand dollars—enables Russia to use these drones en masse in so-called swarms, aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian defenses. The armament of the Shahed-136 is limited to a single warhead, most often a fragmentation-explosive type weighing about 66–110 pounds. This is sufficient to destroy transformers, fuel depots, infrastructure targets, or residential buildings.
The drone is not intended for precise attacks on moving targets—its primary role is to cause havoc and destabilization, especially during periods of high energy demand or before key military events. Shaheds are also part of a broader psychological strategy—their presence over cities, continuous air raid alarms, and occasional successful strikes aim not only at physical destruction but also at instilling fear.
