Ukraine has confirmed at least three deaths and more than 30 injuries following what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a “massive” overnight aerial assault by Russian forces.
The attack, which struck multiple regions including Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, targeted both civilian areas and critical infrastructure. In Dnipro, officials reported a direct missile strike with cluster munitions on a high-rise residential building, leaving it badly damaged.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 619 drones and missiles in the onslaught, calling it one of the heaviest aerial campaigns since the war began in 2022. Moscow’s defense ministry claimed the strikes used “precision weapons” and were aimed at military-industrial sites, not civilians.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out deadly cross-border drone raids. Authorities in the Samara region said four people were killed after Ukrainian drones struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery. Kyiv also claimed responsibility for an attack on another refinery in Saratov.
The latest escalation underscores the deepening cycle of strikes and counterstrikes. Cross-border drone raids have increasingly become a hallmark of the war, with Ukraine seeking to disrupt Russia’s oil and industrial facilities fueling its war machine, while Moscow intensifies its bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
The timing of the assault is particularly significant as President Zelensky prepares to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. The war in Ukraine is expected to dominate the discussions, especially following Trump’s failed attempt to secure a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month.
Tensions in Eastern Europe are also on the rise after Estonia accused Russian jets of violating its airspace for 12 minutes on Friday, prompting calls for urgent NATO consultations. Russia has denied the accusation, but the incident follows recent reports of Russian drones breaching the airspace of Poland and Romania, both NATO members.
As the conflict grinds on, Zelensky insists Russia’s strikes are not only aimed at weakening Ukraine’s infrastructure but also at terrorizing civilians. “This is a deliberate strategy to intimidate our people,” he said in a statement.
The war, now in its third year, shows no signs of de-escalation, with each strike deepening the humanitarian crisis and raising fears of wider regional fallout.
