Russia fired 729 weapons at Ukraine overnight on 1–2 June in the largest single aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began. 656 drones. 73 missiles. Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia — all hit. At least 22 people are dead, including two children. More than 130 are wounded. Zelenskyy is pleading for Patriot interceptors. Ukrainian air defences stopped 642 of the 729 targets — an overall intercept rate of 88%. But the 87 that got through killed, flattened apartment buildings, and cut power to 140,000 people in Kyiv alone.

The Arsenal

The Ukrainian Air Force published the full breakdown: 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, and Crimea. 27 Kh-101 cruise missiles from strategic bombers operating out of Vologda Oblast. Five Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea. And eight Zircon anti-ship missiles — originally designed to sink carriers — repurposed as land-attack weapons and fired from Crimea and Kursk. It was the largest single use of Zircons against Ukrainian cities on record. The drone wave was enormous: 656 one-way attack drones of at least five types, including Shahed-136s, the newer Gerbera variant, Italmas, Banderol, and Parodiya decoys designed to saturate air defences. Ukrainian crews shot down or suppressed 602 of them — a 92% intercept rate on drones. The missile intercept rate was worse: roughly 55%, with zero Zircons stopped.

The Damage

Kyiv took the brunt. Seven people died in the capital and 90 were wounded. Power was cut to 140,000 residents, though utility crews restored service to 110,000 within hours. In Dnipro, the toll was far worse: 16 killed, including two children, and 42 wounded. Forty-nine residential buildings were damaged; seven were described as “practically completely destroyed.” A nine-storey apartment building in the Podilskyi district lost its upper floors entirely. Four medical facilities were hit across the country. Kharkiv reported 19 wounded.

The Patriot Problem

Zelenskyy used the aftermath to make a direct appeal for American air defence missiles. “We urgently need help from the United States in supplying missiles for Patriot systems,” he said. He put a number on the gap: “Sixty to sixty-five anti-ballistic missiles per month is nothing compared to today’s threats. This is no secret, and Russia knows it.” The ISW analysis was blunt: Russia timed the attack to exploit known Patriot interceptor shortages, and to distract from its own inability to secure its deep rear from Ukrainian long-range strikes. The 30 ballistic missiles that hit their targets — nearly all Iskanders, which fly too fast for most short-range systems — are exactly the threat that only Patriot can stop. Sources: Ukrainian Air Force, Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent, Al Jazeera, PBS, NPR, Defence Express, ISW