Russia launched a barrage of approximately 110 missiles and drones overnight, targeting multiple cities across Ukraine in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as one of the most significant attacks of the year, news agency AP reported. The onslaught, lasting roughly 18 hours and commencing on Thursday, resulted in widespread destruction, with reports of at least seven civilians killed and numerous others injured.
According to Ukrainian officials cited by AP, the majority of the incoming missiles and drones were successfully intercepted, but the toll on human lives and infrastructure was significant.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat revealed that Russia employed a diverse array of weaponry, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia "apparently launched everything they have" against targets across Ukraine, AP quoted him as saying.
The attacks spanned six cities, including the capital Kyiv, with reports of strikes in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Lviv, as per AP's report.
A nationwide air alert was deployed causing panic and chaos as Ukrainians sought shelter from the onslaught, BBC reported.
The attacks occurred days after Ukraine targeted a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosiya. The strikes were extensive, affecting cities from the west in Lviv to the east in Dnipro and Kharkiv, as well as the southern city of Odesa, as per BBC's report.
According to BBC, Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson, Yurii Ihnat, highlighted the use of advanced weaponry by Russia, including hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles, including the elusive X-22 type, making interception challenging. Ihnat remarked, "We've never seen so many targets hit simultaneously."
Russia-Ukraine War: 2 Dead, 17 Injured in Kyiv Amid 'Massive Airstrikes'
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal affirmed that Russia deliberately targeted social and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. In Kyiv, two people died, and 17 were injured in what local authorities described as "one of the most massive airstrikes on the territory of Ukraine", as per BBC's report. A metro station serving as an air raid shelter was struck, while fires broke out in warehouses and residential buildings.
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov reported casualties and damages in the city, including a hospital and residential buildings. In Dnipro, Governor Serhiy Lisak described the morning as "tragic" with four people killed, including an attack on a shopping centre and a maternity hospital, the report stated.
Odesa's mayor reported casualties after a building caught fire from debris following a drone strike. In Lviv, regional authorities reported one person killed and three injured.
The devastating Russian assault came a day after President Zelensky expressed gratitude to the US for its recently approved $250 million military aid package, including air defence ammunition. Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak emphasised the urgent need for more international support to halt the ongoing terror, the report stated.
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