In the early hours of June 29, 2025, Ukraine endured what is now being labeled the largest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began. The target: Kremenchuk, a vital industrial and energy hub located on the banks of the Dnipro River. This was not just another night in Ukraine’s war-torn skies—it was a coordinated onslaught of 537 air-launched weapons, including drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic projectiles.
✦.The Arsenal Unleashed
The scale and complexity of the assault stunned military observers. According to Ukrainian and Western sources, Russia launched:
477 Shahed-136 attack drones, many modified with decoys and electronic warfare modules.
41 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, launched from Tu-95MS bombers over the Caspian Sea.
7 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, known for precision and evasiveness.
4 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, nearly impossible to intercept.
5 Kalibr cruise missiles, fired from naval platforms in the Black Sea.
3 repurposed S-300 surface-to-air missiles, used as ballistic strike weapons.
This strike was not just quantitatively massive—it was qualitatively engineered to saturate and outmaneuver Ukraine’s multi-layered air defense network.
✦.A Tactical Doctrine of Saturation
The attack followed a calculated doctrine: drone swarms were sent first to overload radar systems and force early launches of interceptor missiles. Then came the cruise missiles, exploiting gaps in coverage. Finally, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles struck key nodes when Ukrainian defenses were at their weakest.
This “saturation and strike” method, now a hallmark of Russian offensive strategy, is designed not just to destroy, but to deplete. Each drone may cost under $50,000. Each Patriot interceptor costs $3 million.
✦.Kremenchuk: A Strategic Target
Why Kremenchuk? The answer lies in its strategic dual role:
➊. Energy Infrastructure: The city houses a critical oil refinery and a thermal power station, both of which were hit. Videos circulating online showed massive fireballs lighting up the night, suggesting significant damage to Ukraine’s energy resilience.
➋. Logistics Nexus: Kremenchuk lies along vital east-west and north-south logistical routes, supporting military operations and civilian supply chains alike.
This was not the first time Kremenchuk was targeted. In 2022, a missile strike on a shopping mall shocked the international community. In 2025, the focus has shifted from symbolic to tactical annihilation.
✦.Ukraine’s Air Defense: Effective, But Strained
According to Ukraine’s Air Force:
❖.475 of the 537 threats were intercepted, including 211 drones and 38 missiles.
❖.Systems used included Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T, and legacy S-300/Buk batteries.
❖.Electronic warfare was also instrumental, reportedly disabling 226 drones.
However, the sheer volume meant dozens of weapons still penetrated, igniting fires, damaging energy infrastructure, and killing at least one person, with several others—including a child—injured.
✦.Kinzhal: The Game-Changer
The Kinzhal (Kh-47M2) missile continues to pose a unique challenge. Flying at speeds of Mach 9–10 and with unpredictable trajectories, it often evades even the most advanced Western systems.
Although Ukraine successfully intercepted Kinzhals in 2024 using Patriot systems, the missile’s latest use—possibly paired with decoys—proved more lethal. These weapons targeted hardened infrastructure deep in Ukraine’s interior with minimal warning time.
✦.The NATO Angle
The assault triggered NATO air alerts across neighboring countries. Fighter jets from Poland and Romania were scrambled, and airspace monitoring surged.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his calls for:
⭓Additional Patriot and IRIS-T batteries.
⭓Faster delivery of promised F-16 fighter jets.
⭓Increased production of interceptors and domestic defense systems.
The air war has become not just a test of technology, but of sustainability. Russia can afford to lose hundreds of cheap drones. Ukraine cannot afford to lose one Patriot missile, let alone the infrastructure those missiles are meant to protect.
✦.Strategic Implications
This massive strike reflects a broader shift in Russian strategy:
✺.Energy warfare: Targeting refineries and power plants to cripple Ukraine’s grid ahead of winter.
✺Economic attrition: Forcing Ukraine and its Western partners to burn through high-cost defenses.
✺Psychological warfare: Repeating strikes on previously hit cities (like Kremenchuk) to deepen trauma and undermine public confidence.
For NATO, this marks a critical inflection point. The message from Moscow is clear: Russia is willing to escalate—not just in occupied zones but deep into Ukraine’s heartland—with evolving weapons and tactics.
✦.Conclusion: A Turning Point
June 29, 2025, will be remembered as a day when air warfare in Europe reached a new level of intensity and sophistication. It exposed Ukraine’s defensive strengths—and its painful limitations. As drone warfare becomes cheaper and hypersonic technology more prevalent, the strategic burden on Kyiv and its allies will only grow heavier.
If Ukraine is to maintain air superiority, it must do more than intercept—it must adapt, innovate, and sustain. The world must not only watch, but respond. The next wave may come sooner than expected—and hit even harder.
– By Eelaththu Nilavan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Amizhthu’s editorial stance.
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