Russia launched 407 drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles at Ukraine in an overnight assault that struck six regions and lasted for several hours, according to Ukrainian officials. At least six people were killed and about 80 were injured across the country, including three emergency responders who died in Kyiv while assisting people during the attack. [Source 5480]
The other reported deaths were one person in Lutsk and two in the northern Chernihiv region. Ukraine’s air force said its defenses brought down about 30 cruise missiles and as many as 200 drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as involving more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles, including ballistic weapons. [Source 5480]
Explosions continued for hours in Kyiv, where debris from intercepted drones ignited fires in several districts. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, told residents to remain in shelters as the attack unfolded. In the Solomyanskyi district, a blaze reached the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building, and emergency crews evacuated three people from the affected apartment. [Source 5480]
More than 2,000 households on the eastern bank of the capital lost electricity, city officials said. Associated Press reporters observed damage to apartment buildings and other sites that were not military facilities. Residents took refuge in locations including metro stations and parking garages during the bombardment. [Source 5480]
Damage extended well beyond Kyiv. Ten people were injured in the western city of Ternopil, where regional governor Viacheslav Nehoda said industrial and infrastructure sites were hit. Parts of the city lost power, while water services were also disrupted. Officials additionally reported strikes in the Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv and Poltava regions. At least three people were injured in Poltava. [Source 5480]
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the operation targeted military facilities with long-range precision weapons. It claimed that arms storage sites, drone production plants and repair facilities were among the locations struck. The ministry’s account differed from observations of damage to civilian buildings. [Source 5480]
The barrage followed two rounds of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations that had produced no major breakthrough. Ukraine had proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the two governments remained divided over the terms for ending the war. Another round of talks and a further prisoner exchange were expected in the following weeks. [Source 5480]
Activity also continued inside Russia. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted 10 Ukrainian drones approaching the capital. Flights at Moscow airports were temporarily halted as a precaution, while Russian authorities reported additional Ukrainian drone activity in three other regions, with damage to residential and industrial buildings. [Source 5480]
