Russia conducted a significant drone and missile assault on Ukraine early Friday, resulting in the deaths of six individuals in Kyiv and two more in the southern region during strikes on energy facilities, residential buildings, and critical infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities confirmed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Russian forces deployed 430 drones and 18 missiles in what he described as one of the most substantial attacks on the capital thus far. He highlighted that Kyiv was retaliating with long-range strikes and called for increased sanctions against Russia by allied nations.
Although the air force managed to intercept most of the drones and missiles, falling debris and fires caused damage to high-rise apartments, a school, a medical facility, and administrative buildings across nine districts in the city, which has a population of approximately three million. Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, reported that at least 34 people, including two children, sustained injuries in the city, with nine individuals, including a pregnant woman, receiving medical treatment at hospitals.
Power outages were reported in central Kyiv, the southern Odesa region, and the eastern Donetsk region, according to the energy ministry. Images captured flames engulfing various locations in the city as residents found themselves amidst debris-filled streets following the attack. Anastasia, 29, recounted the chaos when her apartment building was hit, stating, “At that moment you don’t know what to do first: save yourself, your child, or run to help people, because so many people were screaming and needed help.”
The governor of Kyiv’s region outside the capital detailed that drone and missile strikes injured six people, including a seven-year-old child, and led to multiple fires. Furthermore, a 55-year-old man in Bila Tserkva suffered burns and was hospitalized due to the attacks. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has plunged the two nations into a continuous state of war.
Zelenskyy mentioned that the Azerbaijani Embassy was struck by debris from an Iskander missile, prompting Azerbaijan to summon the Russian ambassador in protest. The embassy incurred damage to its perimeter wall and diplomatic compound, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. The assault also impacted a Russian oil terminal and tanker in Novorossiysk, prompting a temporary suspension of oil exports from the Black Sea port.
The Ukrainian attack targeted oil berths at the Sheskharis terminal, resulting in a fire at an oil depot that was later extinguished. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium briefly halted oil loadings from the Yuzhnaya Ozereevka terminal following the air alert. Despite the lack of immediate verification from Ukrainian officials, the attack on Russian oil infrastructure is seen as a retaliatory measure following increased strikes on Russian refineries by Ukraine in August.
Russian crude oil shipments via Novorossiysk’s Sheskharis terminal were significantly affected by the attack, impacting global oil supply. The Sierra Leone-flagged Arlan oil tanker was among the vessels hit during the assault, with three crew members sustaining injuries. Efforts to manage the aftermath of the attack were swift, with authorities extinguishing fires and aiding affected residents promptly.
Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukrainian forces had carried out successful strikes using “Long Neptune” cruise missiles on Russian targets overnight, emphasizing the increasing effectiveness of such operations. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that its air defence forces had intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones across various Russian regions and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.