In the early hours of Friday, Russia initiated a significant drone and missile assault on Ukraine, resulting in casualties in both Kyiv and the southern region. Ukrainian officials reported six fatalities in Kyiv and two in the south, with the strikes targeting energy facilities, residential buildings, and key infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that the Russian forces deployed 430 drones and 18 missiles, marking one of the most extensive attacks on the capital to date. He announced that Kyiv was retaliating with long-range strikes and urged allies to intensify sanctions against Russia.
Although the majority of the drones and missiles were intercepted by the air force, debris and fires caused damage to high-rise apartments, a school, a medical facility, and administrative buildings in nine districts of the approximately three million-populated city.
According to Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, at least 34 individuals, including two children, sustained injuries throughout the city, with nine people, including a pregnant woman, receiving treatment in hospitals. The energy ministry declared partial power outages in the central Kyiv region, the southern Odesa region, and the eastern Donetsk region.
Images captured flames engulfing various locations in the city, with residents gathering in debris-laden streets outside residential buildings post-attack. Anastasia, a 29-year-old resident, recounted the chaos when her apartment block was struck, describing the dilemma of choosing between self-preservation, aiding others, and rescuing her child amidst the screams for help.
Furthermore, the governor of the Kyiv region reported injuries to six individuals, including a seven-year-old child, and numerous fires due to the drone and missile onslaught. In Bila Tserkva, a 55-year-old man suffered burns and required hospitalization, as confirmed by Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the regional military administration.
The conflict escalated as Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk halted oil exports temporarily after an alleged Ukrainian drone attack, impacting global supply. The assault caused damage to a docked ship, residential structures, and an oil depot in Novorossiysk, resulting in injuries to three crew members on the vessel.
Amidst these events, Ukrainian forces reportedly deployed “Long Neptune” cruise missiles in Russia, with Zelenskyy emphasizing their success in recent operations. Additionally, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have downed 216 Ukrainian drones across Russian territories and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, initiated by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to escalate, leaving both nations embroiled in a state of all-out warfare.
