Russian missile attacks across Ukraine killed at least eight people and wounded dozens of others in an overnight assault, according to apnews.com. The strikes destroyed or damaged dozens of homes, businesses, and infrastructure facilities, with the heaviest casualties reported in the Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions.
Deadly Missile Strikes Hit Across Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia used more than 70 missiles and over 280 attack drones, with more than 260 intercepted by air defenses. Kyiv and the surrounding region, along with Dnipro, Lviv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, were targeted in the overnight operation.
In Kyiv, ballistic missiles struck the capital, killing a 31-year-old man and wounding two others, according to the National Police press service. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv at 1:18 a.m. on Thursday, Aljazeera reported. Videos showed families sheltering in crowded Kyiv metro stations.
Heavy Casualties in Kryvyi Rih and Lviv
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a mass Russian attack killed six people and wounded 10, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the regional military administration. Children were among the dead, including a 6-year-old girl and boys aged 11 and 17 in the Kryvyi Rih area.
Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s defence council, stated that a direct strike by a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile hit the home of a large family in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown. Zelenskyy specified that the parents of the children were killed as well in the same attack, though two more children were pulled alive from under the rubble. Vilkul described the event as a dark night,
noting that the missile was launched from Russia’s Voronezh region.
In western Lviv, near the Polish border, the city was struck at about 4:45 a.m., according to Mayor Andrii Sadovyi. More than 20 residential buildings, a school, and two kindergartens were damaged. Children were among the injured, including one who was hospitalized. Rescue workers attempted to save people trapped under rubble, and more than a dozen people were wounded. The attacks extended as far west as Lviv, prompting neighbouring Poland to scramble fighter jets to secure its airspace, according to a statement by its armed forces on X referenced by CNN.
Zelenskyy’s Warning and International Context
The assault followed a warning from Zelenskyy, who had stated on Wednesday that a massive Russian attack was likely. Returning from the United States, where he met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Zelenskyy emphasized that the safety of Ukrainians depends on the willingness of allies to provide anti-missile defenses.
During the Washington meetings, Zelenskyy said Trump had agreed to give Ukraine licenses to make Patriot missiles. Only US Patriot systems are capable of shooting down Russian missiles, but Ukraine faces a shortage of PAC-3 interceptor missiles that has worsened since the war on Iran launched by the US and Israel in February.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its armed forces launched a massive strike on air bases, arms factories, and military telecommunications and logistics facilities in Kyiv, Lviv, and several other regions, while also claiming its air defenses downed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Simultaneous Drone Attacks on Russian Retailer Facilities
As missile strikes hit Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone attack set a warehouse belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries on fire in the western city of Penza. Regional Governor Oleg Melnichenko stated on Telegram that one person was injured and about 200 workers were evacuated.
Wildberries reported that another warehouse in Sarapul in the region of Udmurtia was also struck by a Ukrainian drone and set ablaze, with workers safely evacuated. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Wildberries distribution centers, claiming the facilities supply Russia’s frontline troops, an accusation Russia rejects.
