January 9 Massive Strike: 242 Drones, 36 Missiles Hit Ukraine

January 9, 2026January 10, 2026

Kyiv came under attack overnight during the January 9 massive strike. Almost all available strike assets were used, except those from strategic and heavy aviation. Why aircraft didn’t participate in the raid is a separate topic, though obviously it’s in the realm of versions and assumptions, but almost everything else flew straight at the capital.

This time the enemy clearly set as their main goal not just taking out critical infrastructure objects, though they got hit too, but specifically residential buildings. The raid episode that I personally observed clearly and unequivocally indicates the enemy executed the attack on the residential sector intentionally, and they aimed their actions precisely at the result they ultimately achieved. Overall, the russian terrorist attack looked like this:

They Deliberately Targeted Residential Areas

The nature of the attacks, direction of strike assets’ movement, and several other factors directly and unequivocally exclude any other variants that the enemy usually puts forward in such cases to present their actions as conventional. I watched investigators work on site and hope everything was documented properly, because exactly such things must unequivably be presented for war tribunal consideration.

The January 9 massive strike resulted in at least 26 casualties, with fatalities confirmed. In Darnytskyi district, a medic died from a repeated UAV strike. Several city districts experienced water and electricity supply disruptions.

As of 1 PM, russian forces struck 7 districts of Kyiv. The heaviest destruction hit the left bank: Desnianskyi, Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts.
During the shelling, three emergency medical teams came under fire. Medics hospitalized three of them, while several others received necessary help on site. Rescuers continue working in two city districts.

Air Defense Worked Through the Night

The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine provided this report:

– 1/0 medium-range ballistic missile;
– 13/8 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles;
– 22/10 Kalibr cruise missiles;
– 242/226 drones of various types;

The first number shows detected strike weapons; the second shows those shot down and neutralized.

Kateryna Pop, spokeswoman for the Kyiv Military Administration, provided this information:

The enemy used a wide spectrum of strike assets, including strike drones, cruise and ballistic missiles. As of morning, we know about damage at at least 29 locations, with main damage hitting civilian infrastructure objects. Unfortunately, terror resulted in dead and wounded. As of now, we’ve confirmed 4 dead and 25 casualties. Including 5 wounded rescuers, 4 wounded medics and police officers.

District by District Damage

Darnytsky District:

A Shahed fell in a residential building courtyard, damaging a store. Debris also ignited a non-residential building. Fire broke out on the 15th floor of a 16-story building. Garages burned as well. A medic died from a repeated UAV strike at the impact site. Four medical workers were wounded.

At another location, a Shahed hit the 12th floor. Structures partially collapsed, rescuers are now inspecting the building and installing supports. The building lost power and heat. Two apartments were destroyed, up to ten windows blown out in a neighboring building. One car destroyed, about 10 have scratches and body damage.

Desniansky District:

A Shahed hit the roof of a residential building at the 18th floor level. Fire also broke out in a 5-story residential building. In another five-story building, smoke filled the entrance. Fire erupted in several apartments. One drone fell on the territory of a health facility. They recorded ignition at a shopping center and sanatorium.

Dniprovsky District:

A non-residential building caught fire. Debris from Shaheds also ignited a 16-story and a 9-story residential building. The blast wave partially destroyed the roof of a three-story residential building. An entrance was destroyed and fire broke out, they evacuated 29 people from there. Debris also fell on a children’s playground and near a tram depot.

Separately About the Oreshnik Ballistic Missile

Authorities declared air alert in Lviv Oblast at 23:36. Just 10 minutes later, explosion sounds echoed through the city. The Air Force of Ukraine noted that russia attacked Lviv Oblast with a medium-range ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar range, Astrakhan Oblast, russia. The air target moved at approximately 13 thousand kilometers per hour along a ballistic trajectory.

SBU specialists found fragments of the russian ballistic missile. According to preliminary information, the discovered components belong to the Oreshnik missile complex. The SBU Telegram channel reported that among the currently found parts: stabilization and guidance unit (essentially the missile’s “brains”); spare parts from the engine installation; fragments of the orientation mechanism and nozzle from the separation unit platform, and so on.

They conducted laboratory studies at the missile attack site. Radiation background stays within normal limits, they detected no excess levels of harmful substances in the air.
SBU investigators qualified the use of this weapon against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as a war crime by russia (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They’re currently establishing circumstances and organizers and executors of this war crime to bring them to justice.

The January 9 massive strike shows the enemy continues deliberate terror tactics against civilian populations, using the widest possible range of weapons to maximize casualties and destruction.