At least six people were killed and several others injured after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.
According to authorities, five people were killed in the Kyiv region outside the capital during strikes that targeted energy infrastructure as well as residential areas, schools, and businesses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks caused widespread damage and left at least fifteen people injured.
The Ukrainian leader said Russia launched around 430 drones and 68 missiles during the assault, most of which were intercepted by Ukraine’s air defence systems. In addition to the Kyiv region, the attacks also targeted the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv regions.
Later in the day, officials in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region reported another strike when Russian guided bombs hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Zaporizhzhia. The attack killed one person and injured three others, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.
Video footage from the scene showed emergency crews searching through piles of rubble and twisted metal, while nearby buildings suffered shattered windows and damaged balconies.
Residents described the terrifying moment of the attack. Sixty-five-year-old Olha Kiyashko said the powerful blast shattered windows in multiple rooms of her apartment and left her slightly injured.
Saturday’s strikes come at a time when global attention has shifted toward rising tensions in the Middle East, which Ukrainian officials fear could weaken international focus on the war that has been ongoing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy warned that Russia could try to exploit the situation to intensify attacks in Ukraine and again called on Western allies to increase the supply and production of air-defence systems.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said the overnight attacks damaged infrastructure and left consumers in six regions without electricity.
The strikes also triggered a security response in neighboring Poland, a member of NATO, which scrambled fighter jets to monitor its airspace. Polish authorities later said no violations were detected.
In neighboring Moldova, the foreign ministry condemned what it described as a Russian drone entering its airspace near the border with Ukraine, warning that such incidents threaten regional security and endanger civilians.
The latest wave of attacks highlights the continuing intensity of the conflict, with Ukrainian officials warning that Russia shows no sign of ending its military campaign.