At least eight people were killed and more than a dozen others injured after Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on multiple regions of Ukraine using missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.
In the capital, Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 12 people, including two children, were injured in missile strikes that damaged residential and civilian infrastructure.
Journalists in Kyiv reported hearing two powerful explosions in the early hours of the morning. Air raid sirens were activated across the city shortly after the first blast, as authorities warned residents of incoming attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 120 drones and 12 missiles during the overnight assault, with around half of the missiles identified as ballistic weapons. He said several strikes hit civilian infrastructure before air raid alerts could be fully activated.
In a post on social media, Zelenskyy shared footage of emergency crews searching through damaged buildings. He said residential apartment blocks, office buildings and a theological educational institution were among the sites hit in Kyiv, while rescue operations were also underway in several other regions.
Local authorities in the northern city of Sumy said five people, including a young girl, were killed after guided aerial bombs struck the area. Mayor Artem Kobzar said emergency services were continuing rescue and recovery efforts.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials reported one fatality in the eastern city of Sloviansk following Russian shelling, while two people were killed in a missile strike on the southern port city of Odesa.
Russia has continued to carry out regular missile and drone attacks across Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials say the increasing use of ballistic missiles has placed growing pressure on the country’s air defence systems.
