Kyiv: Russia launched a major missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight, striking Kyiv and several other regions in an assault that continued into Thursday morning.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched 258 drones, two Oniks anti ship missiles and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles. The attack began on Wednesday evening and continued through the night and into Thursday morning.
Ukraine's Air Force said that by 9 a.m. on Thursday, its forces had shot down or suppressed one Oniks missile, seven Iskander M and KN 23 ballistic missiles, three S8000 Banderol drones and 222 other drones. The Air Force said the attack hit 15 locations, while debris from intercepted weapons fell at 11 locations.
The main areas affected included Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In Kyiv, debris fell in several districts, damaging a school and breaking windows at a healthcare facility, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Two people were injured in a later daytime attack in the wider Kyiv region.
The southern port city of Odesa was also hit in a prolonged attack that lasted more than seven hours. Local officials said infrastructure, an educational facility and a multi storey residential building were damaged. Three people were injured.
In the central Poltava region, industrial facilities and an energy facility came under attack. The strikes left seven settlements without electricity, according to regional authorities.
Kryvyi Rih, a major steel and mining centre and the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was also hit. Two missiles struck an industrial facility, injuring three people, according to regional officials.
Three people were also injured in Zaporizhzhia after strikes hit a production facility. Ukrainian officials reported damage in the area as emergency crews worked to deal with the effects of the attack.
The attack also affected Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and two others were injured when a shopping centre was hit in a later daytime attack.
Russian authorities said the overnight attack targeted military related facilities in nine Ukrainian cities. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck facilities linked to Ukraine's military industrial sector, metal production, oil refining, logistics and port infrastructure.
Ukraine has reported damage to residential buildings and civilian facilities during the attacks. The claims made by the two sides could not all be independently verified.
The scale of the attack has again highlighted Ukraine's need for stronger air defence systems. Ukraine has faced a shortage of US made Patriot interceptors, which are important for defending against ballistic missiles.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had recently received a small batch of Patriot interceptors and called for additional support from international partners. He said stronger protection against ballistic missiles was needed to protect civilians and critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials also said about one third of the drones used in the latest attack were jet powered. The faster drones add another challenge for Ukraine's air defence forces as they attempt to deal with large waves of incoming weapons.
The attack also affected neighbouring Moldova. Moldova's Defence Ministry said five drones entered the country's airspace during the overnight attacks on Ukraine. The ministry said the unauthorised flights occurred as a result of the Russian air attacks on Ukraine, but did not identify who launched each drone.
The latest attack comes as Russia has increased the scale of its air campaign against Ukraine. Moscow has increasingly used large numbers of drones together with ballistic missiles and other weapons in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Ukraine continues to seek additional air defence systems from its international partners while diplomatic efforts over the war remain under discussion.
The latest barrage has again demonstrated the continuing threat to Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, while the reported drone incursions into Moldova have highlighted the wider security risks created by the war.