Ukraine under heavy attack as Shahed drones, Kinzhal and cruise missiles strike multiple regions
Ukraine faced a new wave of large-scale Russian attacks overnight as Shahed drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and long-range missiles fired from Tu-95MS bombers crossed into Ukrainian airspace. The nationwide assault, which began late on November 18 and escalated through the early hours of November 19, triggered air-raid sirens across multiple regions as explosions and interceptions were reported.
Russian forces first deployed Shahed attack drones in the Sumy, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions. Kharkiv suffered one of the most serious strikes: a Silpo supermarket was destroyed, surrounding buildings and vehicles were damaged, fires broke out at the scene, and dozens of civilians were injured and evacuated. By 03:20 Kyiv time, drones were also detected in parts of western Ukraine, indicating a wide-ranging assault, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In the early hours of the morning, monitoring groups reported that Russian naval forces had deployed Kalibr missile carriers into the Black Sea. Around 04:30 Kyiv time, missile launches were recorded. By 05:00, the Ukrainian Air Forces confirmed that Kalibr missiles had entered Ukrainian airspace, first appearing over the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions before heading toward Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi.
Around the same time, Russia activated its MiG-31K aircraft, which are capable of launching Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. At approximately 05:39, the Kyiv Military-Civil Administration announced that at least one Kinzhal missile launch had been detected. The intended target has not yet been identified.
The attack also involved Russia’s strategic aviation. At 03:30, Tu-95MS bombers took off from the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region. By 06:11, their missiles had entered Ukrainian airspace, with initial detections in the Sumy region. Minutes later, the Ukrainian military reported that cruise missiles were flying over the Poltava region, moving east of Cherkasy, and continuing to pass through the Sumy region.
Ukraine’s air defenses remain on high alert as the assault continues. Authorities warn that the situation is still developing, and additional missile waves cannot be ruled out.
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