Russia launched a massive overnight aerial attack on Ukraine, utilizing 656 drones and 73 missiles. The strikes targeted major centers including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. The assault followed warnings from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had urged residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts after intelligence predicted a massive strike.
Ukrainian authorities reported that the barrage killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 100 others. In Dnipro, four people were killed and 16 injured, with residential buildings and a children's playground destroyed. In Kyiv, multiple explosions sparked fires across eight districts, and a suspected missile strike caused an apartment building to collapse, leaving people trapped under the rubble. Residents of the capital crowded into the metro to escape the bombardment.
The Kremlin described the attack as part of a new paradigm, targeting Ukraine's military-industrial complex. The assault included the use of hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missiles. While Moscow has targeted power supplies and infrastructure this year, the intensified aerial bombing comes as battlefield advances have stalled and Russia seeks to exploit shortages of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles.