KYIV: Russian drones and missiles pounded Ukrainian cities including Kyiv and Dnipro early Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding around 100, Ukrainian authorities said, following repeated warnings of a major Russian escalation, according to Reuters.
Authorities said waves of drones and missiles struck several Ukrainian regions overnight, with Kyiv and Dnipro among the hardest hit. The attacks caused widespread destruction in residential areas, triggering fires, damaged buildings, and panic among civilians.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least four people were killed and 58 injured, including children, as explosions rocked the capital and debris struck residential buildings. In the southeastern city of Dnipro and surrounding areas, regional officials reported six more deaths and at least 36 injuries following missile and drone strikes.
Officials said a suspected missile strike on a 24-storey apartment building in Kyiv caused a partial collapse, raising concerns that residents may be trapped under rubble. A separate nine-storey residential block was also set ablaze after being hit by suspected missile debris.
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Multiple fires broke out across the capital, including in residential districts and open areas. Kyiv officials said burning vehicles and damaged infrastructure were reported in several locations, including near a kindergarten, after falling missile fragments struck the city.
Air raid warnings were issued across much of Ukraine overnight, forcing thousands of residents into underground metro stations for shelter. Witnesses described loud explosions and heavy smoke across Kyiv as air defence systems worked to intercept incoming strikes.
Residents said entire neighborhoods were covered in debris and smoke, with visibility reduced to almost zero in some areas due to ongoing blasts and fires.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had warned a day earlier that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing “systematic strikes” and that a larger assault was possible.
“Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible. They have prepared one,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly address, adding that Ukrainian forces remained on high alert around the clock.
Russian regions also came under attack overnight. Authorities in the southern Krasnodar region said the Ilsky oil refinery caught fire after a drone strike. Local officials in Belgorod reported that an 11-year-old boy was injured when a Ukrainian drone struck a residential house.
Russia’s defence ministry said air defence systems intercepted a total of 148 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to Russian news agencies. Authorities also reported continued drone activity over occupied Crimea, including Sevastopol, where naval defences were activated.
Reuters noted that it could not independently verify all battlefield claims made by either side.
The latest wave of strikes highlights the continuing escalation in the war, now in its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite international diplomatic efforts, fighting continues with both sides intensifying cross-border attacks targeting energy and civilian-linked infrastructure.
