Russia launched a large-scale drone attack against Ukraine overnight into 25 October, deploying 153 combat drones in total, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukrainian air defence units intercepted and destroyed 119 of these drones, including 64 jet-powered Shahed drones, which fly faster than the propeller-driven versions Russia has used for most of the war and are harder for air defences to intercept.

Where the drones came from, and where they hit

The drones were launched from multiple locations, including Bryansk, Orel, Kursk, Millerovo and temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk region and Crimea, along with low-cost Banderol cruise missiles. Enemy air strikes impacted 15 different sites, with drone debris landing on nine of them. The attack notably struck the city of Synelnykove in the Dnipropetrovsk region, resulting in casualties and injuries, and officials in the region said a drone strike on an apartment building there killed four people and injured at least 13, including an 11-year-old girl. Casualty figures from different sources vary, and some reports give different totals across the country — a reminder that early wartime tallies should be treated as provisional until confirmed.

The wider exchange

Ukraine struck Russian-occupied Crimea as part of the overnight exchange, while Ukrainian long-range drones also struck across the border in Belgorod, where local authorities reported deaths and injuries and damage to homes, vehicles and public facilities. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the week's assaults included about 1,600 guided bombs, 48 missiles and nearly 2,300 attack drones, with damage reported to thermal plants, substations, coal mines, grain storage and logistics hubs in nine regions. Kyiv also said Starlink/Starshield satellite connectivity had been restored to full speeds, improving drone command-and-control, and urged European partners to expedite already-approved Patriot interceptor deliveries.