On Sunday, Russia unleashed a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, claiming at least four lives. The assault focused on Kyiv, marking the first significant attack since last month's aerial assault that claimed 21 lives.
A girl among the casualties
Kyiv City Administrator Timur Takachenko confirmed the attack and noted that the assault targeted residential areas, injuring 10 others. Among the deceased was a 12-year-old girl. Dense black smoke was seen rising from near the city center. Takachenko wrote on Telegram, 'The Russians have restarted their count of children's deaths.'
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Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia fired 595 explosive drones and dummy weapons along with 48 missiles. Air defense systems neutralized or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles. Besides Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the shelling targeted regions including Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnitsky, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odessa. According to Zelenskyy, at least 40 people were injured across the nation.
Zelenskyy calls for increased pressure
Zelenskyy remarked that this heinous attack occurred as the United Nations General Assembly Week concluded, indicating Russia's expressive stance. Moscow intends to continue fighting and killing, requiring the world's most intense pressure.
Zaporizhzhia's regional head Ivan Fedorov stated that among the 27 injured, three were children. He mentioned that more than two dozen buildings were damaged in the region's capital.
Source: aajtak
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted on Saturday that his country has no plans to attack Europe but will decisively respond to any affront.
Hospital and school targeted
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko explained that the overnight attacks that continued into the dawn Sunday targeted residential buildings, civil infrastructure, a medical facility, and a kindergarten. He further noted that damage was reported at over 20 locations in the capital.
Amid the sound of anti-aircraft gunfire and buzzing drones, passengers arrived at Kyiv's central railway station. Mostly women, they quietly waited in platform underpasses until the air raid warning ended. Some children played online games while parents checked news on their phones.
Ukraine warns of counterattack
A woman named Erika at the station expressed gloom, noting that the sky had turned dark again. Such scenes have been witnessed multiple times. Floors atop a heavily drone-damaged high-rise were demolished, with windows shattered. Emergency workers used machinery to clear debris. Piles of glass were strewn on sidewalks, and scared building residents lingered on benches.
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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha linked the attack to hundreds of drones and missiles, stating on X, 'We need to escalate the costs for Russia's future actions.' Russian authorities did not comment immediately on the strikes.
According to the Polish Armed Forces, the neighboring Poland initiated military responses followed this attack, deploying fighter jets after morning strikes on western Ukraine. Polish military officials emphasized these were defensive actions.
Deal between Ukraine and U.S.
There are growing international concerns that this conflict might extend beyond Ukraine's borders as European nations criticized Russia for provocative actions. Instances include Russian drones landing on Polish soil and Russian fighters entering Estonian airspace. Russia denied entering Estonian airspace and stated that none of its drones targeted Poland.
This fresh bombardment came post-President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of a mega-deal with the United States on Saturday to procure weapons. The $90 billion American package includes a significant arms deal and a separate drone deal for Ukrainian-made drones, which the U.S. will purchase directly. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses downed 41 Ukrainian drones by Sunday night.
