Russia launched a powerful missile and drone attack on Ukraine early Friday, killing at least six people and injuring around 80 others. The overnight strikes caused widespread destruction in cities including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Lutsk, and Ternopil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that three emergency responders were killed in Kyiv during a second strike after arriving at the scene of an earlier blast. He called it a tragic example of the continued brutality of Russian aggression.
In Chernihiv, two people died after an industrial site was hit, while another victim was found in the rubble of an apartment block in Lutsk. The attack injured dozens more, damaged schools, and severely hit local energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of retaliating for recent drone attacks on its strategic bombers by targeting Ukrainian civilians. In response, Ukraine claimed to have launched overnight strikes on Russian airfields and fuel sites in Saratov and Ryazan.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia used 407 drones—one of the highest numbers in a single assault—and fired 45 missiles. Explosions shook the capital, damaging Kyiv’s metro system and railways, forcing residents to seek shelter underground.
President Zelenskiy urged the international community to act firmly against Russia. “Delays and silence cost lives,” he warned, demanding stronger global pressure to stop what he called systematic war crimes.