Russia launches 500 drones at Ukraine in overnight assault, Zelenskyy reports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Sunday that Russia launched roughly 550 munitions in an overnight assault, resulting in at least five deaths and 10 injuries across multiple regions of Ukraine. The strikes impacted cities and regions including Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia deployed 496 drones and 53 missiles, of which defenders intercepted or suppressed 439 drones and 39 missiles, with eight failing to reach their targets. Despite the defenses, eight missiles and 57 drones struck 20 locations, with debris reported in six areas. Zelenskyy described the strikes as attacks on infrastructure essential to daily life and called for stronger air defenses, urging international action to force Russia to halt its attacks.
The heaviest damage was in western Ukraine. In Lviv, near the Polish border, four people were killed and four others injured, with strikes hitting an industrial park west of the city center. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi described it as a “very tough night,” while Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Russian forces “terrorized the region for over five hours with combined strikes.” Other western regions, including Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia, saw attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure.
In southern Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and 10 were injured, with significant damage to homes, gas pipelines, and other buildings, leaving over 73,000 residents without power, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. Chernihiv, near the Belarusian and Russian borders, also experienced strikes targeting key infrastructure.
Russia’s Defense Ministry described the operation as a “massive strike with long-range precision-guided weapons of ground, sea, and air-based deployment,” targeting military-industrial sites and energy infrastructure. The ministry cited the use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and strike drones, claiming all targets were hit. Russian forces also reported shooting down 62 Ukrainian drones.
The attacks triggered NATO responses across the Polish border, with jets deployed and air defense units on alert for around four hours. Dutch F-35 jets participated in the response, and officials confirmed no violations of Polish airspace occurred. Temporary flight restrictions were imposed at several Russian airports, including Tambov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yaroslavl.
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