In the early morning of September 28, 2025, the night sky of Kiev was torn apart.
The missile tsunami broke the silence, the air defense system bombarded, the explosion of the fire column rose to the sky – the red light shone, the city as day.
This is not an ordinary air strike, but a high-intensity strike covering the entire territory of Ukraine.
The Russian army dropped at least 44 missiles of various types, and hundreds of suicide drones took off simultaneously.
From Chernihiv to Odessa, from Vinnitsa to Zaporizhzhia, none of the key states have been spared.
The attack lasted from late at night on September 27 to early in the morning on September 28, when the Ukrainian air defense system was overloaded.
Millions of people were hiding in the basement, and the streets were empty, with only fires and heavy smoke silently complaining of the cruelty of the war.
Why this time?
The answer is hidden in an official statement less than 24 hours before the attack.
On September 27, Zelensky for the first time publicly acknowledged that the Ukrainian army has received a set of Israeli "Patriot" air defense missile systems, and two more sets will be received in the autumn.
Previously, all Ukrainian “patriots” were from the United States and NATO.
As a military power in the Middle East, Israel has long exercised restraint in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rarely provides lethal weapons.
In this case, the signal is strong – aid to Ukraine is shifting from “US-led” to “multipolar synergy”.
The Ukrainian air defense network no longer relies on Washington and Brussels alone, and Tel Aviv also joins.
This is by no means good news for the Russian army.
The Patriot system can intercept cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and even some hypersonic weapons.
If the three systems are quickly deployed to form a cross-fire network, the cost of subsequent Russian air strikes will rise sharply.
Either you miss it or you pay a higher price.
The Russian military’s choice was direct: to launch a saturated strike as soon as the new system had arrived, the deployment had not been completed, the personnel were not familiar with the operation, the position had not been strengthened, one of the goals was to destroy or paralyze the newly landed “patriots”.
Facts prove this.
On the streets of Kiev were scattered several "Patriot-3" intercepted bombs.
Ukrainian military sources revealed that at least 10 interceptor bombs were fired that night, but the effect was not ideal.
Key targets are still hit.
Even if there are "patriots", in the face of high intensity, multi-directional, hybrid-guided composite strikes, it is difficult to do without dropling with a single set of systems.
What's more, the Russian army did not use ordinary missiles this time.
Air strikes were carried out by MiG-31K fighter jets.
This high-speed shuttle carries a high-speed supersonic missile.
Each carries two, with at least two hitting high-value targets.
The speed of the "Dagger" exceeds Mach 10, and its flight trajectory can be maneuvered and changed, leaving extremely short reaction time for the Ukrainian air defense system.
The success rate of the existing "Patriot" PAC-2 or early PAC-3 interception of such targets is widely doubted.
The Russian army used it to take the lead in order to tear apart the first line of defense.
Followed by the Chart-95MS and Chart-160 strategic bombers, 34 Kh-101 cruise missiles were projected remotely.
Kh-101 has a hidden design, low altitude flight, small radar reflection area, can automatically adjust the route according to the terrain, bypass the air defense radar.
With a range of more than 2,500 kilometers, the bombers do not need to be close to Ukrainian airspace to precisely hit deep-seated targets in the Midwest.
Odessa, Vinnitsa, and Khmelnitsky became the focus of attacks overnight, relying on this "out-of-zone strike" capability.
The Black Sea Fleet frigate launched six "calibre" cruise missiles from the sea.
The number is small, but the significance lies in the formation of a "sea-air double channel" strike.
The Ukrainian air defense system had already seen the elbow, and now it has to look at both the sky and the sea at the same time, and the pressure has doubled.
Multi-dimensional collaboration is the typical style of modern warfare-fighting for system, rhythm, and information integration, rather than simply fighting for firepower.
What really worries the Ukrainian army may not be expensive missiles, but hundreds of "Shahid-136" suicide drones.
People call it an "Iranian scooter" because it buzzes like an old motorcycle when flying.
The single price may be just tens of thousands of dollars, but it can fly thousands of kilometers and carry dozens of kilograms of explosives.
Slow speed and easy to shoot, but large numbers.
The Russian army released hundreds of aircraft at a time, creating a "swarm" effect.
If the Ukrainian army intercepted with expensive air defense missiles, it would be "killing chicken with a bull knife" - a "patriot" cost a million dollars, hit a decades of thousands of dollars drone, economically unable to afford.
These drone targets are clear: power transformation stations, railway scheduling stations, military factory warehouses, communication base stations.
Not seeking to kill, only seeking continuous harassment and repeated strikes, forcing the Ukrainian army to scatter valuable air defense resources to every corner.
Some residents photographed at three o’clock in the morning, the air defense alarm sounded, and a series of fireballs lit up in the sky – that was the Ukrainian military’s “toxic bombardment” or “Himas” modified near-defense system to intercept low-air slow speed targets.
There is always a leaked net of fish.
The power facilities in Chernigov Oblast were hit continuously by "scooters", causing widespread power outages. Residents could only rely on flashlights and emergency power supplies to survive the night.
The extent of destruction is far beyond this.
Kiev's losses attract the most attention.
Mayor Krichenko said at least 20 locations in six districts were damaged.
A large tire factory in Białystok was directly hit, and the factory instantly collapsed and the fire burst into the sky.
The factory normally produces civilian tires, and also undertakes orders for military off-road vehicles and armored tires during the war.
After paralysis, the mobility of the front forces was affected in the short term.
An industrial enterprise in Odessa, which is responsible for the production of military parts, was accurately hit by Kh-101, and the entire production workshop and raw material warehouse were reduced to ruins.
Industry analysts analyze that the factory is responsible for processing cannon referrals and drone circuit boards, shut down for a week, and the supply of front-line ammunition has to be discounted.
A critical infrastructure in Venice – most likely a railway hub or a fuel transit station – burned after the explosion, and the local government suspended part of the railway.
This means that troops, ammunition, and food transported from the west to the eastern front will have to be diverted or delayed.
Some residential districts in Zaporozhye City were out of power, and repair teams risked a second attack overnight operation, and the timing of the recovery is still uncertain.
The industrial zone of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast also suffered. The outer walls of many factories were cracked and precision equipment was damaged, forcing them to shut down completely.
These are not isolated incidents, but are part of the Russian military's systematic strike chain.
The Russian military has seen a significant tactical shift in recent months.
From June 24, 2025, the focus of the fighting will be expanded to the entire back of Ukraine.
The logic is clear: fighting soldiers on the front line, fighting war potential at the rear.
As long as the factories are shut down, the railway is interrupted, the electricity is paralyzed, and the heart of the people is shaken, the Ukrainian army can not fight even if there are more soldiers.
There is a list of goals behind the style of play.
The surface of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk region is the ordinary city of Donbass, which serves as the communications and logistics hub of the eastern Ukrainian army.
The Russian army repeatedly bombed to cut off the command chain and supply line of the front forces.
Sumy Oblast is close to the Russian border with Kursk Oblast, and the Ukrainian army has repeatedly launched cross-border raids here.
The Russian army's attack on Sumy is not only revenge, but also to pull out this "nail" to prevent the Ukrainian army from continuing to threaten the Russian mainland.
Several industrial cities are the “focus target” of the Russian military.
Dnipropetrovsk Southern Machinery Manufacturing Plant is a military giant in the Soviet era, which has produced rocket engines and armored vehicle parts so far.
The city of Pavlograd gathers a number of precision machinery factories responsible for repairing tanks and artillery.
Zaporizhzhia's Motor Sich was once the world's top aerospace engine manufacturer. Although its production capacity is not as good as before, it is still the main maintenance base for Ukrainian helicopter and transport aircraft engines.
The Ivchenko-Progress Design Bureau is next door and is responsible for aeronautical power system research and development.
The destruction of these facilities is equivalent to strangling the “heart” of the Ukrainian air force.
The Russians also used new equipment.
The Su-34 fighter bomber dropped an upgraded UMBPD-30SN guided glide bomb.
The warhead shell is a prefabricated fragment structure, which forms a larger kill radius when exploded, making it especially suitable for attacking factory buildings, warehouses and other surface targets.
After the aerodynamic shape is optimized, the gliding distance reaches about 100 kilometers, and the pilot does not need to fly too close, which is safer.
More importantly, it can not only be launched by fighter jets, but can also be launched on the "Dragon Hurricane" - S long-range rocket cannon or "Circular" multi-powered rocket cannon.
This means that Russian troops can carry out precision strikes in a cheaper and more flexible way, without having to dispatch expensive strategic bombers every time.
The "low-cost + high-precision" combination is likely to become the mainstream model of Russian air strikes in the future.
Although missiles and hypersonic weapons are powerful, their production is limited and the cost is too high.
The UMBPD-30SN flying bombs and a large number of “Shahda” dronesined both the intensity of the strike and controlled the cost of the war.
Military observers speculate that with the recovery of Russia's military production capacity, the monthly output of such precision-guided munitions may have exceeded 1,000 units, enough to support long-term, high-frequency rear strikes.
Was the September 28 airstrike really just a military operation?
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
A few days before the attack, Zelensky publicly stated that the Ukrainian army "does not rule out launching an attack on Moscow or even cutting off its power supply."
As soon as this came out, the western media were in an uproar, and the public in Russia was furious.
Although no one saw the Ukrainian army take action, high-profile threats stumbled on the Kremlin’s red line.
The Russian military’s response to the “biggest air strike since the conflict” was both a military preemption and a politically tough statement: “If you dare to threaten my capital, I will make it difficult for you to step back.”
More deeply, this airstrike was a redefinition of the Russian military’s rules on the battlefield.
In the past two years, people have been accustomed to watching the Donbass battle and the Bachmouth hanging machine.
Now, the center of gravity of the war is quietly moving backward.
Are the supply lines clear?
Can the factory start?
Do people have electricity at night?
These seemingly “non-combat” factors are becoming key variables in determining the course of the battle.
When the positive battlefield is stagnant, who is more able to withstand the pressure of being continuously beaten by the back, who is more likely to laugh to the end.
There are netizens who feel that the war is not about who has more tanks, who has more soldiers, but who has a more stable power grid, who has more railways, and who has more factories.
This is anxious, but reality.
Ukraine's dilemma lies in the fact that it must not only withstand the Russian ground attack on the front line, but also deal with endless missile and drone attacks at the rear.
Russia’s advantage is that it has depth, capacity and time – as long as the energy and military systems do not collapse, it can delay the war of consumption.
The Ukrainian army is not sitting still waiting for death.
In addition to accelerating the deployment of "Patriots", new air defense tactics are also being explored.
Electronic interference is used to suppress the navigation signals of the Shahid drone, a small radar network is used to detect low-altitude targets, and private volunteers are even trained to operate portable air defense weapons.
However, these measures are slow in effect and high in cost, and it is difficult to reverse the passive situation in the short term.
The U.S. attitude deserves attention.
The Trump administration once hesitated about aiding Ukraine after taking office, but its recent actions have shown that it has stepped up its efforts.
Not only did it coordinate Israel’s provision of “patriots”, but it also pushed NATO countries to increase their air defense missile inventories.
Washington does not intend to let Ukraine face Russian rear attacks alone.
But the problem is that the aid comes faster and missiles land faster.
When the equipment arrives, whether it can be deployed in time and used effectively is the key.
On the morning of September 28, Kiev's alarm sound finally stopped.
There was no joy in the streets, only silence.
People came out of the basement and looked at the factory chimneys filled with glass debris, burning car debris, smoking black smoke, and it was clear that this would not be the last time.
The Russian military has demonstrated its ability to strike anywhere in Ukraine at any time and on any scale.
All the Ukrainians can do is rebuild in the ruins, persist in the strikes, and seek that certain hope in the uncertainty.
The war on this part is no longer a simple territorial struggle.
It is the ultimate test of resilience, will and national survival.
Every missile that falls is questioning the country's bottom line.
Every power outage tests people's patience.
This air strike is just one chapter in a long game.
How many chapters are there?
No one knows.
But it can be assured that as long as the back is bombed, the front will never be truly stable.
Someone asked, why didn't the Russian army directly attack Kiev?
The answer may lie in this air strike-they don't need to occupy the city, just make it impossible.
Modern warfare is victorious, sometimes not on the red line on the map, and in the power grid voltage, factory production capacity, railway routes, even the people can not sleep at night.
When these basic elements are continuously weakened, the reinforced lines of defense will also disintegrate from the inside.
Don’t look at the buzzing “small motorcycles” and don’t just look at the cool high-speed supersonic missiles.
What really determines the course of the war may be a transformator at a power station, a pillow on a railroad, a worker at a factory who still persists in working.
War is never just a game of generals, it is ultimately borne by ordinary people and ended by ordinary people.
Now the sky in Kiev has restored to calm.
But everyone knows that this calm is temporary.
The next time the alarm sounds, it may be a larger blow.
Ukraine, on the other hand, can only continue to find reasons to live in ruins one after another.