Russia Launches Largest Missile Barrage in Months, Deploying Rare Tu-160 Strategic Bombers

In what appears to be one of the most intense air campaigns in recent months, Russia has unleashed a massive combined missile and drone assault across Ukraine, involving strategic bombers, hypersonic weapons, and long-range cruise missiles launched from multiple platforms.

Ukrainian air-monitoring channels reported an unprecedented scale of activity early this morning, with dozens of MiG-31K interceptors — carriers of the Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles and the aerodynamic Kinzhal hypersonic missile — taking to the skies alongside Tu-95MS “Bear” and Tu-160 “Blackjack” heavy strategic bombers. The involvement of the supersonic Tu-160, which has been only sporadically employed in combat operations over Ukraine in recent months, immediately drew attention from analysts as a signal of heightened intent or the targeting of particularly high-value objectives.

Simultaneously, waves of Kh-101 and 3M14T (Kalibr) cruise missiles, 9M728 Iskander-K ground-launched cruise missiles, and Geran-series loitering munitions began converging on Ukrainian territory from multiple directions. In a rare tactical move, five Kh-101 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were reportedly launched at roughly the same moment, with monitoring sources indicating that at least four of them were directed toward the Kyiv region. The near-simultaneous release of multiple Kinzhals is highly unusual and underscores the exceptional nature of the operation.

In western Ukraine, Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea traversed Vinnytsia, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts before reaching Lviv Oblast. Eyewitnesses and open-source intelligence accounts confirmed powerful explosions near the town of Stryi, a known logistics hub and area with military infrastructure. Local social media channels circulated footage of bright flashes and secondary detonations, though the precise targets remain unconfirmed.

The Ukrainian Air Force acknowledged the onslaught, declaring an active air-defense engagement across virtually the entire country. Ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats were reported in rapid succession, stretching interceptor and radar resources to their limits. As of this writing, neither the Russian Ministry of Defense nor the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has issued official statements regarding the strikes or their outcomes.

Military observers note that the scale, diversity of launch platforms, and inclusion of scarce strategic aviation assets suggest the barrage was meticulously planned and may have been intended to overwhelm air defenses, degrade critical energy infrastructure ahead of winter, or strike deeply protected command-and-logistics nodes. The reintroduction of the Tu-160 into the rotation after a prolonged absence further amplifies the perception that Moscow sought to deliver a particularly forceful demonstration of long-range strike capability.

Further details on damage, casualties, and intercepted munitions are awaited as the situation continues to develop.