Russia’s ballistic missile, jet-propelled drone blitz keeps Kyiv on edge
The Hindu – International
You are logged in
Loading…
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials,
Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you’ve access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Account Settings
Need help with your subscription?
Weather News September 29, 2026 e-Paper
The View From India
Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.
First Day First Show
News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.
Today's Cache
Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.
Science For All
The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!
Data Point
Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers
THEdge
At the cutting edge of education and careers
Health Matters
Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there
Gender Agenda
Stories from beyond the binary.
The Hindu On Books
Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.
Weather News September 29, 2026 e-Paper
Updated – September 29, 2026 08:55 pm IST – Kyiv
Firefighters work in the attic of a residential building that caught fire after it was struck by a Russian jet-powered drone, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, September 29, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Russia fired ballistic missiles and dozens of jet-powered drones at Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said Tuesday (September 29, 2026), as Moscow seeks to make Ukraine buckle under the pressure of day-and-night bombardment of its capital and other cities.
The Russian onslaught has used new jet-powered drones that fly too fast and too high for Ukrainian ground-based air defences to shoot down.
Ukraine is scrambling to keep pace by developing faster interceptor drones, in the latest example of how the war has driven military innovation, but making and deploying new weapons takes months.
Russia's ballistic missiles have also got through as Ukraine is desperately short of US-made Patriot air defence interceptor missiles, which are the only reliable way of stopping Moscow's ballistic attacks.
Patriot stockpiles are low, largely because of the Iran war, and Ukraine has received only small numbers of them this year despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleading. Ukraine said that its air defences shot down two ballistic missiles overnight, which suggested that Kyiv had recently received some more Patriots.
Air defence needs are mounting with the approach of the bitter winter months, which in the years since Russia's full-scale invasion began on Feb 24, 2022 have brought an escalation of strikes on Ukraine's power grid.
That strategy denies Ukrainian civilians heating and running water, among other things.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces hit data processing centres in Kyiv that Moscow says are used by the Ukrainian military, which is increasingly deploying artificial intelligence on the battlefield.
Other Russian targets included facilities in the Ukrainian capital and the Kyiv region where drones and cruise missiles were stored, as well as an electrical substation, a drone manufacturing facility, and port infrastructure facilities in the southern Odesa region, the Ministry said.
Ukrainian authorities said that the barrage hit apartment buildings, houses and public transportation in Kyiv, wounding one person.
In Odesa, the attack wounded eight people overnight and damaged residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a school, an animal shelter and port infrastructure, local officials said.
Ukraine hasn't sat back in the face of the Russian blitz. Its long-range drones have targeted Russian missile and drone manufacturing plants and launch sites. It also has hit Russian oil refineries, causing fuel shortages.
The two armies are largely deadlocked on the long front line in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Mr. Zelenskyy says that Moscow intends to increase recruitment for another battlefield push.
He said late Monday that another 10,000 North Korean troops are heading to Russia, adding to the 8,000 he said are already there.
Russia and North Korea have made no secret of their military cooperation.
Published – September 29, 2026 08:54 pm IST
Russia
/
Russia-Ukraine Crisis
Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
Fonte: The Hindu – International