Russia carried out one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent months overnight, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100 in strikes that hit Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and other cities, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 656 drones and 73 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles, during the assault. Air defence units reported intercepting or disabling 602 drones and 40 missiles, though dozens of projectiles reached their targets.
The heaviest damage was reported in Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro.
Authorities in Kyiv said six people were killed and at least 66 injured after missiles and drones struck residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Fires broke out in apartment blocks, construction sites and open areas across the capital. Rescue crews continued searching damaged buildings throughout the day.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to remain in shelters as air defences responded to the attack. Parts of the city experienced power outages, with energy company DTEK reporting that around 140,000 residents temporarily lost electricity. Most services were later restored.
In Dnipro, regional officials said 12 people were killed and dozens wounded when strikes hit residential neighbourhoods. Emergency workers recovered victims from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building. Among the dead were children, according to local authorities.
Images released by officials showed destroyed residential buildings, burned vehicles and damaged playgrounds. Rescue operations continued as crews searched for people believed trapped beneath debris.
Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Poltava were also targeted. Local authorities reported injuries and damage to homes, industrial sites and energy facilities.
The attack came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that intelligence services had detected preparations for a large-scale Russian strike. Many residents spent the night in metro stations and public shelters as air raid alerts remained in force for several hours.
Following the attacks, Zelenskyy renewed appeals for additional Western air defence support, particularly US-made Patriot missile systems.
“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic defenses,” Zelenskyy said on social media. “U.S. assistance in supplying missiles for Patriots is absolutely essential.”
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that supplies of Patriot interceptors remain limited while Russia continues to increase the scale of missile attacks.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes demonstrated Moscow’s continued reliance on attacks against civilian areas.
“The only reason for Russia’s overnight horrific attack against Ukraine is that Putin is a war criminal and loser who has no cards except terror,” Sybiha wrote on social media.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the operation targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities, recruitment centres and infrastructure used by the armed forces. Moscow described the strikes as retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian-controlled territory and military assets.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue what he called “systematic strikes” following a deadly attack last month on a student dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region. Ukraine has denied targeting the dormitory and said it struck a military drone command centre in the area.
The overnight bombardment also coincided with continued Ukrainian drone operations inside Russia.
Russian authorities said one person was killed in the Kursk region following a Ukrainian drone strike. Officials in Krasnodar reported a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery after it was hit overnight. Ukraine’s military later confirmed the refinery had been targeted, describing it as a supplier of fuel to Russian forces.
HT