Russian rocket launcher destroyed in spectacular strike as drone war escalates

A Russian multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) preparing to fire was obliterated in a massive explosion caught on camera, in what appears to be the latest blow to Moscow's faltering war effort in Ukraine. The dramatic footage, shared by Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko, shows a Russian MLRS positioned in open terrain moments before it is struck by a Ukrainian munition.

The entire system is engulfed in flames within seconds, with debris and smoke billowing into the sky. Mr Gerashchenko, a former Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser, and now an adviser, wrote: "A Russian MLRS was getting ready to launch strikes, then a strike made it detonate, together with all the ammunition. Very impressive! Glory!"

The precise location and timing of the strike have not been confirmed by Ukrainian military officials, but the targeting of the system likely involved aerial reconnaissance and precision-guided weaponry-an increasingly common feature of Ukraine's growing reliance on drone and loitering munition technology.

The clip was released just hours after Russian airstrikes killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others across Ukraine, including seven children. Ukrainian officials said Monday that Russia had fired over 100 drones at civilian areas overnight, as part of its renewed campaign of terror against the population.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs over the past week, targeting cities, infrastructure, and airfields in what Kyiv has described as a scorched-earth strategy.

"Air defense is the main thing for protecting life," Mr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that Ukraine had signed new agreements with European partners and a major U.S. defense company to expand production of interceptor drones.

Ukrainian forces are under immense pressure along the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, as Russia's larger army pushes to exploit gaps amid troop shortages and delays in Western weapons deliveries. Last week, some planned U.S. shipments were halted, prompting urgent appeals from Kyiv for more support.

Drone warfare has played an increasingly vital role in Ukraine's ability to hold the line, allowing it to inflict damage behind enemy lines while compensating for manpower shortfalls.

The same night the MLRS was destroyed, Russian strikes caused extensive damage. One person was killed in Odesa, another died and 71 were injured in Kharkiv, while falling drone debris triggered fires and destruction in Kyiv. In the northern Sumy region, short-range drones killed two and injured two more. Seven more people were reported dead in Donetsk, although regional head Vadym Filashkin did not specify what weapons were used.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had downed 91 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions overnight, including areas over the Black Sea and the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Amid the escalating violence, political turmoil in Moscow intensified with the apparent suicide of Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit. News of his death came just hours after the Kremlin confirmed he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin.

Starovoit's firing followed a weekend of chaos in Russian airspace, with hundreds of flights grounded at Moscow and St Petersburg airports due to drone threats. However, Russian analysts said such disruptions had become routine and were unlikely to explain his abrupt departure.

Instead, media reports suggest his downfall may be linked to a corruption investigation involving alleged embezzlement of funds intended for fortifications in the Kursk region-where he previously served as governor. Those defensive failures reportedly allowed Ukrainian forces to mount a surprise incursion in the area in August 2024.

At 53, Starovoit had only held the transport portfolio since May 2024. His death will further raise questions about internal stability and accountability in Mr Putin's wartime administration.

With Ukraine stepping up drone production and Russia facing both battlefield losses and political instability, the war shows no sign of slowing. The strike on the MLRS may be just one moment in a wider conflict, but it is emblematic of how the technological tide is shifting-and how costly every misstep now is for the Kremlin.