Russia launched a significant missile and drone attack targeting nine Ukrainian cities overnight and into Thursday, striking military-related facilities, oil refineries, and logistics hubs, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The onslaught, which continued into daylight hours, resulted in civilian casualties and damage to residential areas.
A 78-year-old woman was killed in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, and at least nine other people were reported wounded across the country, Ukrainian officials stated. In the capital Kyiv, four districts were hit, damaging residential blocks, a school, and a medical facility, though no casualties were reported in the city itself, according to police.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strikes as part of Russia's ongoing investment in missiles and expansion of its war, emphasizing the need for increased countermeasures. He highlighted promises of additional air defense aid from European countries and called for more ballistic missile defense packages, facilitated by European purchases of weapons from the United States.
Ukraine's air force reported shooting down or suppressing seven Russian ballistic missiles. However, Russia's use of fast-flying, jet-powered drones presents an ongoing challenge.
Regional Impacts
In the central Poltava region, Russian forces struck industrial and energy infrastructure, as reported by Vitalii Diakivnych, head of the regional military administration. The southern Odesa region experienced a prolonged attack lasting over seven hours. Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional military administration, stated that a 16-story residential building, two educational facilities, and a grain elevator were damaged. Odesa is a critical port for Ukraine's agricultural exports.
Ukrainian officials say Russia periodically builds up missile stocks to launch major attacks, aiming to exhaust Ukrainian defenses through sheer volume. In response, Ukraine has targeted high-profile sites on Russian territory, engaging in mutual destruction.
President Zelensky was scheduled to visit neighboring Moldova on Thursday, the country's national day. Moldova's Ministry of Defense reported that five drones breached its airspace overnight, without specifying their origin. Concerns persist among Russia's Eastern European neighbors about the potential for a wider conflict stemming from the invasion of Ukraine.