Moscow and Kiev document separate instances of more than 100 drone incursions each
In a concerning escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia's use of drone attacks against Ukraine has reached record-breaking levels in 2025. The aerial assaults have targeted multiple regions, causing extensive casualties and destruction, particularly in key urban centres.
Recent data shows a significant increase in drone attacks by Russia, with the number of drone strikes surging dramatically, reaching record levels in recent months. According to Ukrainian Air Force and independent data, Russia launched a record 5,337 Shahed-type drones in June 2025 alone, more than doubling the figures from previous months and representing a 16-fold increase compared to June 2024.
These drone strikes have primarily targeted Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, causing hundreds of casualties per month, including civilian deaths, though exact casualty numbers vary by region and attack intensity. The increase in drone attacks is linked to Russia's ramped-up drone production, estimated at 5,000 drones manufactured monthly, allowing for large-scale saturation attacks.
The aerial assaults also include missile attacks, with missile numbers nearly doubling in the same timeframe. Ukrainian air defenses have been active, intercepting significant numbers of drones and missiles. Between June 1 and July 2, 2025, Ukraine reportedly intercepted over 23,000 drones and around 2,600 cruise missiles.
The intensified aerial assaults come amid stalled ceasefire talks and are seen as a Russian escalation partly in response to Ukrainian operations targeting Russian assets. The conflict has resulted in impacts at 19 locations, according to military reports from Kyiv, with Russia using 157 drones and four missiles in an attack overnight.
Warehouses and the power grid in the port of Mykolaiv were damaged, but there were no reports of injuries. In the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, an eight-year-old boy died and a four-year-old and a 40-year-old man were injured when a drone hit a car. The attack also affected the city, resulting in fires and severe damage to buildings, with at least three injured.
In the Donetsk region, three people have died and seven have been injured since Saturday due to ongoing Russian artillery attacks. In the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv, Governor Vitaliy Kim reported massive attacks with Shahed drones. The attack by Russia on Ukraine overnight also affected the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, resulting in the death of an eight-year-old boy and injuries to a four-year-old and a 40-year-old man.
Russian artillery attacks in the partially occupied Ukrainian regions continue daily, resulting in deaths and injuries. These developments underscore the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and an end to the escalating violence.
Politics and general news outlets have been reporting an intensification of the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, with a significant rise in car-accidents as a result of drone-attacks. Crime-and-justice areas have also been highlighting the civilian casualties, particularly the tragic incident in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv where an eight-year-old boy was killed and two others injured when a drone hit a car. Accidents caused by these drone-strikes have been increasing, adding to the urgent call for a peaceful resolution to prevent further escalation.
