Russia launched a large-scale overnight drone attack on Ukraine, firing 85 unmanned aerial vehicles from multiple directions, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.
According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the assault began at 17:40 on January 30 and continued into the morning of January 31. The drones, including Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas types, were launched from Russia’s Orel, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk regions. Around 55 of the UAVs were Shahed attack drones, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Ukraine’s air defence forces, supported by aviation units, anti-aircraft missile systems, electronic warfare teams, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups, responded to the attack. As of 08:00 local time, air defences had shot down or electronically suppressed 64 enemy drones across northern, southern and eastern regions of the country.
Despite the response, Ukrainian authorities said 20 strike drones hit 13 locations. The Air Force warned that the attack was still ongoing and urged civilians to follow safety instructions, noting that some enemy drones remained in Ukrainian airspace.
The overnight attack came amid conflicting signals over a temporary halt to strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Earlier this week, reports circulated on social media claiming Russia had paused attacks on energy facilities in Kyiv and other regions.
The reports suggested the pause could be bilateral and remain in effect until February 3, linked to another round of talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for February 1.
US President Donald Trump later said he had personally urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to temporarily suspend strikes on Ukrainian cities during a period of extreme cold, adding that Putin had agreed.
The Kremlin confirmed the arrangement, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the energy ceasefire would last only until February 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the agreement, saying the issue was discussed in Abu Dhabi and expressing hope that Russia would adhere to its commitments. According to Zelenskyy, the so-called “energy ceasefire” began on the night of January 30.