In an assault unleashed by Russia on Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported three fatalities, numerous injuries, and significant damage to infrastructure and residential structures. Despite ongoing diplomatic endeavors to halt the conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the violence has intensified in recent months.
According to Zelenskyy’s statement on the Telegram messaging platform, Russia conducted a substantial attack employing approximately 580 drones and 40 missiles to strike infrastructure, civilian manufacturing facilities, and residential zones across various regions. Ukraine’s air force intercepted and downed 552 drones and 31 missiles.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of engaging in a deliberate strategy to instill fear in civilians and devastate infrastructure through continuous assaults throughout the night. However, Russia refuted the allegations of targeting Ukrainian civilians. In Dnipro, a missile containing cluster munitions struck a residential building, resulting in one fatality and at least 26 injuries, as per regional officials.
Additionally, fatalities were reported in the Chernihiv and Khmelnytskyi regions. The reports from the battlefield could not be independently verified by Reuters. Residents expressed their fears and concerns, highlighting the need for peaceful negotiations to resolve the conflict.
The city of Kyiv faces mounting pressure in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces maintain their advance, causing extensive destruction in villages and towns to expand their territorial gains. Both sides have escalated their drone attacks, with Russia employing swarms of drones to strike distant Ukrainian cities and Ukraine retaliating with its own drone strikes targeting Russian refineries and logistics hubs.
Ukraine successfully hit two Russian oil refineries in the Saratov and Samara regions, resulting in explosions and fires. President Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s capacity to produce drones and hinted at potential disruptions in Russian fuel supplies if drone attacks continue. Russia claimed to have conducted precise strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities during the assault.
In response to the escalating conflict, Polish and allied aircraft were deployed to safeguard Polish airspace after Russia’s airstrikes encroached on western Ukraine near the Polish border. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in aggressive military actions.