Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Russian forces launched a complex, large-scale attack overnight, utilizing both drones and ballistic missiles against various regions of the country.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, Zelenskyy stated in a social media post that the strikes primarily targeted critical infrastructure facilities and residential areas.
Zelenskyy reported that significant infrastructure facilities in the Poltava, Sumy, and Kherson regions sustained damage. In the Kharkiv region, residential buildings were targeted, while in the city of Kramatorsk, a guided aerial bomb reportedly struck a multi-story apartment building.
The attacks resulted in casualties across several regions:
- Zaporizhzhia: 3 people injured.
- Kryvyi Rih: 2 people injured.
- Odesa: Residential building damaged.
- Kyiv region: A fire broke out at industrial facilities in Chubynske following a drone strike.
The Ukrainian President emphasized that Russia is attempting to escalate the scale of the war and stressed the urgent need to strengthen the country's air defense capabilities. Zelenskyy noted that European allies have made significant decisions this week regarding the reinforcement of Ukraine's air defense systems, though he added that this support must be supplemented with additional ballistic missile defense packages.
"Every asset that protects our skies saves Ukrainian lives every day. To break Russia's determination to continue the war, we must effectively neutralize the missiles they use," Zelenskyy stated.
The ongoing conflict, which intensified significantly following the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, continues to see frequent aerial bombardment of Ukrainian territory. These strikes remain a central point of contention in international diplomatic efforts, as Ukraine continues to appeal to Western partners for advanced air defense systems, such as the Patriot missile batteries, to protect its civilian population and energy grid from persistent aerial threats.
