On Saturday, January 24, 2026, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that, starting at 6:00 p.m. the previous day, Russia carried out another air and missile attack against critical infrastructure, launching 396 weapons, mostly drones, primarily targeting Kyiv and the Kyiv region.
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Russian forces launched the following weapons:
- 2 hypersonic 3M22 Zircon cruise missiles from Crimea;
- 12 Raduga Kh-22 Burya / Kh-32 cruise missiles launched by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from airspace over Kursk Oblast;
- 6 Iskander-M ballistic missiles / S-300 surface-to-air missiles fired from Bryansk Oblast and Crimea;
- 1 Kh-59 Ovod / Kh-69 air-launched guided missile from airspace over Kursk Oblast;
- 375 unmanned aerial vehicles, including approximately 250 Geran/Shahed-type drones and various decoy UAVs (including Gerbera), launched from the directions of Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Shatalovo, and Bryansk in Russia, as well as from the occupied Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
The primary axis of attack was the Kyiv Oblast. Particular emphasis was placed on the heavy involvement of bomber aviation in strikes against Ukraine’s capital, which was already suffering from widespread power outages – estimated at around 60% of consumers in Kyiv.
The attack was repelled by Ukrainian aviation, surface-to-air missile forces, electronic warfare (EW) units, counter-UAV systems, and mobile air defense groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, by 9:00 a.m. local time, air defense systems had shot down or neutralized 372 aerial targets, including 9 Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles, 5 Iskander-M/S-300 missiles, 1 Kh-59 Ovod/Kh-69 missile, and 357 UAVs across 17 locations. In addition, debris from downed drones was recorded at 12 locations. Information regarding the fall of four missiles is still being clarified, and as of 9:00 a.m., several UAVs remained in Ukrainian airspace.
⚡️ ЗБИТО/ПОДАВЛЕНО 15 РАКЕТ ТА 357 ВОРОЖИХ БПЛАhttps://t.co/0BuCTcA0fz pic.twitter.com/POaEAPBLuJ
— Генеральний штаб ЗСУ (@GeneralStaffUA) January 24, 2026
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine:
“Overnight, Russia carried out a massive attack on our regions, launching more than 370 attack drones and 21 missiles of various types. Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, were targeted. In Kharkiv, a maternity hospital, a refugee shelter, a medical university, and residential buildings were damaged. So far, dozens of people have been injured, including a child. In the capital and its outskirts, Russia’s main targets were energy facilities. Tragically, one person was killed in the attack. I extend my condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones. All necessary services are working at the sites of the Russian strikes, dealing with the consequences – rescue teams, medical personnel, municipal services, energy workers, and repair crews. I thank everyone involved. I am also grateful to all air defense soldiers who repelled the attack.
Every such Russian attack on our energy infrastructure proves that there must be no delays in air defense deliveries. These attacks cannot be ignored; they must be met with a strong response. We count on the reaction and assistance of all our partners. Every missile for Patriot, NASAMS, and all other systems helps protect critical infrastructure and enables people to survive the winter cold. We must ensure the full implementation of all agreements reached with President Trump in Davos regarding air defense. I thank everyone who is helping to protect human lives.”
Вночі Росія масовано атакувала наші регіони – випустили понад 370 ударних дронів та 21 ракету різних типів. Під ударами Київ та область, Сумщина, Харківщина, Чернігівщина. У Харкові пошкодили пологовий будинок, гуртожиток, де мешкали переселенці, медичний коледж і житлові… pic.twitter.com/yMJGmkwOxl
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 24, 2026
State Emergency Service of Ukraine:
“Kharkiv: 14 people, including one child, were injured in a mass Russian drone attack. Damage and fires were reported at multiple locations. A total of 134 rescuers, 34 pieces of equipment from the State Emergency Service, as well as police officers, paramedics, and volunteers, were involved in responding to the aftermath of the Russian attack. UPDATE: The number of casualties from the overnight, large-scale attack by Russian occupying forces on Kharkiv has increased to 19 people.”
‼️UPD: кількість постраждалих внаслідок нічної масованої атаки російських окупантів на Харків зросла до 19 осіб
— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) January 24, 2026
“Kyiv: One person was killed and four were injured in an overnight missile and drone attack carried out by the Russian Federation. The Holosiivskyi, Dniprovskyi, Darnytskyi, and Solomianskyi districts came under fire. A confectionery factory, a private house, an office building, and other facilities were damaged, and fires broke out.”
#Київ: 1 людина загинула та 4 поранені внаслідок нічного ракетно-дронового удару рф
Під прицілом були Голосіївський, Дніпровський, Дарницький та Солом’янський райони.
Пошкоджені кондитерська фабрика, приватний будинок, офісна будівля та ін. Виникли пожежі pic.twitter.com/gxUbr73yZ7— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) January 24, 2026
Map of attacks (source):
Map: mon1tor_ua via Telegram
On the map above, the white line marks the flight trajectory of two hypersonic Zircon missiles used in the attack on Kyiv.
3M22 Zircon
This marked the fifth combat use of the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile (NATO designation: SS-N-33). Previous attacks occurred only in 2024, on February 7, March 25, and November 17, with strikes resuming this year on January 20, when one missile was reportedly launched (according to official sources).
The 3M22 Zircon has been under development in Russia since 2012 at the NPO Mashinostroyeniya design bureau in Reutov. According to some sources, the missile, powered by a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet), is approximately 9 meters long, 60 cm in diameter, and carries a 300–400 kg warhead (possibly also nuclear). It is reportedly capable of reaching speeds of Mach 8–9, as demonstrated during test launches. The missile’s range is estimated at 500–1,000 km (with some sources claiming up to 1,500 km), and its maximum flight altitude is around 28,000 meters. The first and second stages of the missile, designated izdeliye 3L2211 and izdeliye 3L2212, are reportedly fueled by decylin (T-10), a high-energy synthetic aviation fuel originally developed for the Kh-55 cruise missile program. The fuel is believed to be highly toxic. While its exact chemical composition remains classified, a simplified chemical formula is cited as C₁₀H₁₆.
Launch of a 3M22 Zircon missile from the Project 22350 guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov during exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, December 3, 2024
Serially-produced Zircon missiles were ordered on August 23, 2021, during the 7th International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2021” (August 22–28) held in Kubinka near Moscow. Deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2022 and conclude in 2025 (or 2026, according to more recent information). According to available documents, 80 missiles were ordered.
Although originally designed as ship-launched missiles for eight-cell universal vertical launchers 3S-14 of the UKSK system, installed on surface combatants such as the Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class frigates, the single Project 1144.2M Orlan nuclear cruiser, and Project 885M Yasen-M submarines, analysts believe that attacks against targets in Ukraine employed an experimental configuration. This reportedly involved mobile wheeled launchers based on the K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense system (DIA/NATO designation: SSC-5 Stooge), originally intended for P-800 Oniks / Yakhont anti-ship missiles (NATO: SS-N-26 Strobile). However, no photographic evidence confirming such integration has ever emerged. In November 2022, the Russian news agency TASS reported that integration tests of Zircon with a mobile ground launcher were being conducted for experimental purposes. A less likely, but not impossible, option is the use of the stationary Object 100 Utes/Sotka coastal missile complex at the Balaklava naval base in Sevastopol. That said, the trajectory data from the most recent attacks does not support this scenario – at least in this particular case.