Russian forces launched a massive drone and missile attack on multiple Ukrainian oblasts, causing the most extensive damage in the eastern city of Kharkiv.

According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Russian forces struck four districts of Ukraine’s second-largest city late on 2 May. The attack injured 51 civilians, including two girls aged 11 and 16 and damaged apartment buildings, a kindergarten, educational institutions, and 17 vehicles across four districts.

Further investigation established that the Russian army used 17 “Geran-2” type drones with thermobaric warheads, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reports.

This weaponry creates a powerful blast wave and high-temperature cloud, causing extensive destruction and numerous casualties among the civilian population. Its use is particularly dangerous and may indicate deliberate violation of international humanitarian law norms.

Eight people are currently hospitalized in moderate condition. Emergency service workers continue cleanup operations despite the risk of repeated attacks.

The assault on Kharkiv was part of a larger overnight offensive against Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 183 attack drones and decoy drones at Ukraine.

Ukrainian defense forces reportedly shot down 77 Shahed-type UAVs and other drones across eastern, northern, southern and central Ukraine.

The broader attack damaged infrastructure across Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Mykolaiv oblasts and a 47-year-old man was killed in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast.

According to Mayor Terekhov, April 2025 saw a record 136 Russian strikes on the city, resulting in 230 injuries, including 19 children, and damage to 533 buildings.

“The tactic is the same — massive attacks. Drones are launched in groups, in several waves with minimal intervals, to strike unexpectedly and complicate the work of air defense forces,” Terekhov explained.

The May 2-3 attack represents a continuation of this pattern of intense aerial bombardment targeting civilian infrastructure in eastern Ukraine.