Russia has launched a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine using hundreds of Shahed strike drones, employing a new tactic aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses along the border with Belarus.

Russia’s massive combined attack on Ukraine may last until Thursday noon, with missile launches and another wave of attack UAVs possible overnight, Defense Minister’s Adviser Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov has said.

Nearly 700 drones and 19 missiles struck cities across the country overnight, killing 16 people, officials said. Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was among the hardest hit.

The Russian Geran-5 is compared to the Ukrainian Flamingo Russia showed its new Geran-5 cruise missile-drone for the first time during the May 9 parade, a weapon it has already used for strikes against Ukraine,