Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack across multiple cities in Ukraine early Tuesday, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning of an impending major Russian strike.
The Ukrainian Air Force shared a statement on Telegram, reporting Russia launched 656 drones and 73 missiles overnight, mainly targeting Kyiv. The air force also added that it downed or neutralised 40 missiles and 602 drones.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed it carried out a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s defence industry facilities using high-precision long-range weapons.
Authorities reported that at least 11 people were killed and over a 100 were injured in one of Moscow’s largest strikes in recent months.
Reuters news agency reported seven deaths in Dnipro, citing regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha said on Telegram that all the injured were hospitalised in moderate condition. He also posted photos of destroyed residential buildings, burnt vehicles, and a damaged children’s playground. Emergency services said a rescue worker was killed in a “double-tap” strike targeting responders.
Four people were reportedly killed and 51 others were injured in Kyiv.
Olha Mudra, a witness, told Reuters, “We couldn’t understand what was happening – some kind of apocalypse? Everything was covered (with debris), everything in smoke, you could see nothing.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that two high-rise apartment buildings were struck, suspecting people could still be trapped under the debris.
“In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris,” Klitschko added “There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten.”
Many took shelter at the Kyiv subway system as the sounds of the attacks intensified. Another witness told Reuters that more explosions were heard in Kyiv after dawn.
Head of Kyiv city military administration Tymur Tkachenko wrote on Telegram, “Preliminay reports indicate that there are people trapped under the rubble.”
Russian strikes also hit an industrial facility in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia with no casualties reported so far.
