At least 10 people have been killed and over 100 others were injured in Russia’s massive overnight missile and drone attack in several Ukrainian cities, marking one of the most significant attacks in recent weeks of the ongoing war.
The large-scale bombardment was focused on Ukraine itself: the capital Kyiv and the eastern town of Dnipro. Ukrainian officials said such bombings destroyed residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, and public places were widespread as emergency workers rushed to save trapped residents of buildings under the rubble.
The Ukrainian authorities said four people were killed in Kyiv after missile strikes damaged residential areas and caused a multi-storey apartment building to collapse. At least 58 people were injured in the capital, some of whom were hospitalized. Rescue workers searched through debris in Ukraine to search for more residents who may be trapped in a damaged building to save them.
Dnipro suffered the deadliest impact of the assault. Six people died and at least 36 were injured from missiles hitting residential areas and other civilian areas in the city, officials said. The first emergency responder that was sent in to the first attack was also killed, highlighting the risk of rescue teams responding to active strikes.
Explosions also took place in other Ukrainian cities like Kharkiv, where several people were injured. Ukrainian air defense systems scrambled to track missiles and drones throughout the night, and air raid sirens sounded in large parts of the country.
The latest assault came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that intelligence agencies had identified preparations for a potential massive Russian assault. Ukrainian authorities were already calling for additional air defense systems and military assistance from Western allies to defend cities from continued aerial bombardment after the strikes.
But Russia's renewed offensive comes at a time when the two countries are in the midst of a war, and there have been cross-border drone attacks and increased military activity along different segments of the front line. The Kremlin had threatened to retaliate after accusing Ukraine of attacking Russian territory, which Kyiv has denied.
Images from the affected areas show heavily damaged apartment complexes, shattered windows, burned vehicles, and emergency workers working through the night. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated to metro stations and underground facilities in Kyiv and other cities as explosions reverberated through the area.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has now entered its fifth year, with both sides continuing long-range missile and drone attacks despite repeated international calls for a ceasefire. The latest assault underscores the continuing humanitarian toll of the conflict and the growing challenges facing civilians living in areas vulnerable to aerial strikes.
