Russia launches massive air attack on Ukrainian cities
- Damage and deaths reported across Ukraine after attack by drones and missiles
- Ukraine has been defending itself from Russia’s invasion for more than 22 months
Russia unleashed its largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine in months on Friday, killing 10 people and wounding at least 60 others in Kyiv, the south, west and east of the country, officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched approximately 110 missiles, with most of them being shot down.
Dozens of people were wounded with damage reported at a maternity hospital in the central city of Dnipro and buildings in the western city of Lviv, the southeastern port of Odesa and the eastern city of Kharkiv.
Two people were confirmed dead in the capital Kyiv, with more people thought to be trapped under rubble at a warehouse damaged by falling debris, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram messenger.
Two people were killed in the Black Sea port city of Odesa and at least 15 were injured, including two children, as missiles hit residential buildings, the regional governor said.
“We can say that this was a massive attack,” Yuriy Ihnat, the air force spokesman said on television.
Ukraine has been warning for weeks that Russia could be stockpiling missiles to launch a major air campaign targeting the energy system. Last year millions of people were plunged into darkness when Russian strikes pounded the power grid.
The energy ministry reported power outages in four regions after the air attack.
In Lviv region, which borders Poland, impacts were confirmed at a critical infrastructure facility, the president’s office said, declining to say which one.
“The enemy targeted social and critical infrastructure,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The air force said Russia used hypersonic, cruise and ballistic missiles, including ones which are extremely hard to intercept.
