A mother and her two-month-old son were killed as Russia launched what Ukrainian officials described as a record drone and missile strike that hit more than 20 cities across Ukraine early on Sunday, leaving dozens injured and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities said at least 805 strike drones and more than a dozen ballistic and cruise missiles were used in the assault, which struck Kyiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Kremenchuk, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, among other locations. The two victims were found in a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district; the child’s father was pulled from the rubble with injuries, officials said. A woman was also reported killed in the Sumy region, and rescuers reported dozens of other casualties and extensive property damage.
Ukrainian air-defence forces said they intercepted the bulk of the incoming weapons. Kyiv reported that 751 drones and missiles were shot down or missed their targets, and that nine missiles and 56 strike drones caused damage at 37 locations. Debris from downed targets fell in at least eight places, officials said.
The attacks damaged energy infrastructure, transport links and a key bridge over the Dnipro River that has been targeted repeatedly in recent months. Footage circulated on social media and released by authorities showed strikes on the Kryukovskiy bridge in Kremenchuk and fires at other transport and industrial sites. Local officials reported explosions and outages of electricity and internet in parts of Poltava and other regions.
For the first time during the war, Ukraine said the offices of its Cabinet of Ministers were struck. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the roof and upper floors of the government building were damaged and that emergency services were extinguishing fires. “The bodies of two deceased were found there,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said regarding the residential building in Sviatoshynskyi, adding that rescuers were searching for a third person.
“Last night Russia launched another massive strike on Ukraine,” Prime Minister Svyrydenko said in a televised statement. “The enemy terrorises and kills our people across the country every day. The world must respond to these destructions not only with words but with actions. Sanction pressure must be increased — primarily against Russian oil and gas. New restrictions are needed that will hit the Kremlin’s war machine. And most importantly — Ukraine needs weapons.”
NATO said allied fighters were scrambled over Poland, near the Ukrainian border, and that ground-based air-defence and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on a state of heightened readiness. The Warsaw operational commander described the measures as preventive steps to secure airspace and protect citizens in areas adjacent to the threatened zone.
Pro-Kremlin news outlets and channels celebrated what they described as one of the largest drone attacks by the Russian armed forces, some claiming as many as 1,000 drones. Russian state and allied channels posted footage and commentary praising the scale of the operation.
Ukrainian officials reported strikes on civilian facilities, including a nursery school and residential high-rise blocks in Kyiv, and said fires at several sites were being fought by emergency crews. A firefighting helicopter was filmed dousing flames over parts of the capital; residents were seen wrapped in blankets on streets after the overnight strikes.
In Odesa, authorities said a sports complex, residential buildings and other infrastructure were hit. In Kryvyi Rih — the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — officials reported repeated strikes on city and transport infrastructure.
Ukraine said it struck back with significant attacks on Russian energy facilities on Saturday and again in the wake of the Sunday barrage. Ukrainian forces reported damage to the Druzhba pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, a route that carries oil to several European countries, and said Ukrainian drones set ablaze the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar region, prompting evacuation of workers. Fires were also reported at the Kavkaz port near the Kerch Strait, opposite occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian authorities said the strikes on Russian infrastructure were aimed at disrupting supplies that sustain Moscow’s war effort. The attacks represent one of the most intense escalations in a months-long pattern of cross-border strikes and counterstrikes that have targeted energy, transport and civilian facilities on both sides.
International reaction to the strikes was cautious but concerned. NATO’s scrambling of jets over Poland underscored allied worries about escalation and the need to protect NATO airspace. Western capitals have repeatedly urged restraint while providing military and economic support to Kyiv.
Ukrainian rescue services continued search-and-rescue operations in damaged buildings and worked to restore basic services. Local officials warned residents to stay away from damaged structures and to expect ongoing disruptions to power and communications while emergency crews clear debris and repair infrastructure.
The scale and intensity of the overnight operation mark a significant moment in the conflict, heightening fears of further strikes on densely populated areas and key infrastructure. Ukrainian leaders renewed appeals to partners for air-defence systems and other military assistance to reduce civilian casualties and protect critical assets.
Authorities said investigations into the strikes and their impacts are ongoing and that casualty figures could change as rescue teams complete searches of damaged buildings and sites across the country.