Russia Fires 70 Missiles at Ukraine and Says It Hit Fire Point's Missile Plants
The European Commission disbursed €1.24 billion for Ukrainian-made weapons the same morning Moscow claimed it struck Fire Point's missile and drone facilities.
The European Commission disbursed €1.24 billion for Ukrainian-made weapons the same morning Moscow claimed it struck Fire Point's missile and drone facilities.
Russian missiles and drones hit 18 locations across Ukraine overnight Oct. 6-7 despite air defenses neutralizing 44 missiles and 117 drones by 9 a.m., Ukraine's Air Force said in a preliminary tally.
Russia fired about 70 missiles and targeted energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. He had warned a day earlier that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a large strike. Explosions shook Kyiv around 3:15 a.m. and again at 5:15 a.m., Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground observed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weapons did Russia launch overnight on Oct. 7?
Ukraine's Air Force listed 48 cruise missiles, an unspecified number of ballistic and anti-ship missiles, and 130 Shahed-type, Gerbera and decoy drones, 46 of them jet-powered. President Zelenskyy put the missile total at about 70.
How much got through Ukrainian air defenses?
Air defenses downed 161 targets by 9 a.m., per the Air Force: 39 of 48 cruise missiles, five ballistic and anti-ship missiles, and 117 of 130 drones. Strikes were still recorded at 18 locations, with debris at five more.
Where were people killed?
Ukrainian officials cited by AP reported at least 19 civilians killed and around 60 wounded. The worst single strike hit a five-story apartment block in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, where Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi said 13 died, including four children. Two died in Kyiv and two in Kremenchuk, per local officials.
What did Russia say it was targeting?
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed a strike on military-industrial facilities, including sites where Fire Point makes and stores Flamingo cruise missiles and long-range drones, plus port and ship-repair infrastructure in Odesa region. Ukraine's Air Force listed Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk as the main targeted regions.
What is the EU money for?
The European Commission disbursed €1.24 billion on Oct. 7 under the defense component of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, earmarked for drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and missiles produced by Ukrainian companies. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said defense funding under the program now totals nearly €13 billion.
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At least 19 civilians, including four children, were killed and around 60 wounded, Ukrainian officials said. A missile on a five-story apartment block in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, killed 13 people, including four children, and wounded about 50, according to Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi. The toll there rose through the day.
Air defenses intercepted 39 of 48 Kh-101, Iskander-K and Kalibr cruise missiles, with six more results under assessment, the Air Force's breakdown shows. They also stopped 117 of 130 drones, including 38 of 46 jet-powered weapons. Five ballistic and anti-ship missiles were intercepted, but the service gave no launch total for those categories.
Russian ballistic missiles remain Ukraine's greatest air-defense challenge, Zelenskyy stressed. Ukraine is searching worldwide for Patriot missiles, whose supply has tightened because of the Iran war, AP noted.
Interceptors developed against propeller drones are too slow for the jet-powered threat, analyst Mykola Bielieskov assessed in an Oct. 6 Atlantic Council piece. Ukrainian official data he cited put Russian jet-drone launches at about 1,500 in July and 3,200 in September. Ukrainian Air Force officials announced this week that AI-targeted automatic gun turrets had intercepted their first jet-powered drones.
Sites producing and storing Fire Point's Flamingo cruise missiles and medium- and long-range drones were among the targets, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed. The company's longer-range FP-9 missile is expected by autumn, Zelenskyy told Reuters last week.
The European Commission disbursed €1.24 billion the same morning under the defense component of its €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The money covers Ukrainian-made drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and missiles.
The tranche is earmarked for the missile and drone industry Moscow says it struck, and for the faster interceptors Bielieskov expects will take months to field at scale.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.