Russia Fires 496 Drones, 74 Missiles at Kyiv in Deadliest Strike of 2026

Russia launched what multiple outlets are calling the deadliest single strike on Ukraine this year, with at least 496 drones and 74 missiles targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 27 people according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian air defenses engaged the barrage, and Ukrainian forces simultaneously struck Russian oil infrastructure, prompting the reported fuel sourcing through Indian intermediaries. Russian air defense also destroyed two UAVs approaching Moscow overnight, per Russian state media. The scale of the strike — simultaneous with Ukraine's own offensive operations against Russian energy infrastructure — marks a qualitative intensification of the air war.