Russia struck Ukraine with hundreds of drones on Wednesday during an atypical daytime assault.
Later that evening, Russia fired more than 20 ballistic missiles toward Kyiv.
Business Insider reporters were in Ukraine's capital throughout the full day of strikes.

KYIV, Ukraine - Endless streams of Russian drones swarmed the skies all day long. As night approached, ballistic missiles started pounding down.

In the early morning hours, Business Insider journalists sheltered alongside dozens of others in a cold, crowded underground parking garage in Kyiv that served as a bomb shelter. Under faint lighting, some rested in their vehicles; others grabbed spots on the few beds, sofas, tables, or chairs while tremors shook the ground overhead.

Ukrainian air defenses battled intensely against Russia's nighttime onslaught, which featured 675 drones plus 56 cruise and ballistic missiles, though some got through and leveled buildings. "The primary focus of the attack was Kyiv," the air force reported Thursday morning.

For hours into the night, shelter occupants passed the time as best they could while enduring the assault. They played music, streamed shows on phones, huddled to sleep, chatted softly, and checked news feeds on their devices.

Ukraine had anticipated a major attack. Alerts went out, and from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Russia sent over 750 attack and decoy drones in steady waves nationwide, according to Kyiv's air force. This unusual daytime operation came right after a three-day truce ended.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the barrage as "one of the longest massive Russian attacks" on the nation. Officials reported at least six deaths and dozens injured on Wednesday.

Business Insider was driving north of Kyiv around noon when iPhone maps abruptly failed - a potential indicator of electronic jamming.

Russian drones buzzed close by, and Ukraine often deploys GPS disruption to counter them.

That evening, Business Insider joined a Ukrainian mobile air defense team working near Kyiv. They had been targeting Russia's Shahed-type drones.

Troops using a .50-caliber machine gun downed one drone, their commander informed Business Insider. By then, Ukrainian units had downed over 700 drones countrywide that day.

The commander suspected Russia aimed to deplete Ukraine's defenses before unleashing missiles.

Air raid alerts blared repeatedly during daylight. Ukraine's GUR military intelligence warned Tuesday of a massive air operation hitting key infrastructure and civilian sites, potentially stretching into a drawn-out campaign.

"Russia intends to use numerous air- and sea-launched cruise missiles, along with ballistic missiles," GUR stated. Targets encompass "critical infrastructure and vital services in major cities, such as power plants, defense factories, and government sites."

Russian drones kept coming in successive waves. Near 1 a.m., Kyiv alerts flagged incoming ballistic missiles, sending residents underground. Blasts rattled the city, startling those in the parking shelter.

Ukraine's air force reported downing 693 of 731 incoming Russian missiles and drones. About 40 hit their marks.

Local Telegram groups shared clips purporting to capture a Russian drone slamming into a Kyiv high-rise, plus damage scenes elsewhere in the city.

"Russia brutally hit Kyiv," Ukraine's State Emergency Service announced, noting that "shelling damaged homes and civilian facilities across multiple districts."

Daytime drone runs followed by nighttime missile waves mark a new pattern in Russian tactics. Earlier this month, the US-based Institute for Science and International Security called the rise of "continuous combined night-day strike cycles" a "major operational advance" for Russia.

Video correspondent Robert Leslie contributed reporting.