Russia has launched the most intense missile and drone strikes on key Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the weekend that is growing in ferocity, focusing on the dwindling air defences installations, logistics hubs, and ammunition depots.

"Russian forces conducted the largest combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion on the night of July 3 to 4, primarily targeting Kyiv City. Russian forces have conducted 10 of the largest strikes in the war since January 2025," Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a note on July 5.

Russia has been firing a record number of drones and missiles a day, including the use of its Kinzal new hypersonic missiles Russia that Ukraine is powerless to bring down even with the most advanced US systems.

On June 30, Russian forces targeted Kyiv with a coordinated barrage involving over 500 Geran suicide drones, five Iskander-M and five Iskander-K ballistic missiles, and two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, reportedly erasing large sections of the capital’s air defence grid and logistical infrastructure. The attack has been described as a pivotal escalation in Russia’s aerial campaign.

Residents have spent several days during the week sheltering in the metro tunnels during the nighttime raids.

An earlier strike on June 23 saw the use of Iskander-M and Kinzhal ballistic missiles to target what were described as “high-value” military and command infrastructure in Kyiv. The attacks were part of what analysts have called a systematic degradation of Ukraine’s ability to defend key urban centres and supply fronts.

On June 10, a Russian missile struck a customs terminal near Kalynivka, in Kyiv Oblast. The facility was reportedly being used to store Western-supplied ammunition and military equipment. According to NewRulesGeopolitics, the strike resulted in a “direct hit” that destroyed Nato-supplied weapons and materiel, although no official confirmation of the terminal’s contents has been released.

On June 6, Ukraine experienced one of the most extensive air assaults to date, with 307 suicide drones, 20 cruise missiles, and two ballistic missiles launched across multiple cities. Notably, Lutsk, a city in western Ukraine, was struck by four missiles, according to visual evidence published online. These strikes targeted defence infrastructure and transport links far from the frontlines.

A day earlier, during the night of June 5, Ukrainian cities were struck by 407 suicide drones, 38 cruise missiles, and six ballistic missiles. NewRulesGeopolitics reported that the strikes severely compromised Ukraine’s remaining air defence capabilities and destroyed ammunition depots as well as what it described as “decision-making centres.”

As bne IntelliNews reported, the war has transformed once again as the drone war increasingly gives way to a missile war where Russia has an overwhelming advantage. The scale and coordination of the attack marks an expansion of Russia’s strategy of using drone swarms to overwhelm radar systems before launching precision missile strikes.

The devastating missile barrage comes as Trump’s administration has decided to halt all new weapons deliveries, although some confusion remains as if the deliveries could be restarted in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Specifically, a consignment of 100 rockets for the Patriot air defence system in Poland assigned to Ukraine was not sent at a time when Ukraine’s stocks of these rockets are almost depleted.