Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that five people were killed and tens of thousands left without power across the country following an intense overnight barrage of Russian missiles and attack drones. Russian forces targeted Ukrainian military and energy infrastructure in what Moscow’s defense ministry described as a “massive” strike.
President Zelensky stated that Russia launched more than 50 missiles and approximately 500 attack drones during the coordinated assault that spanned multiple regions, with particular focus on the western city of Lviv and the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
Casualties and Infrastructure Damage
The deadliest strike occurred in the village of Lapaivka, near Lviv, where four members of one family, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed. Another family member was injured alongside two neighbors.
In Zaporizhzhia, the attack resulted in one fatality and several injuries, including a 16-year-old girl, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. A power plant in the region was struck, leaving more than 73,000 consumers without electricity. Emergency outages were also implemented in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions due to damage.
The large-scale attacks affected the following regions:
- Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk (Western Ukraine)
- Zaporizhzhia (South-Eastern Ukraine)
- Chernihiv and Sumy (Northern Ukraine)
- Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad
In Lviv, the city’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, confirmed that air defense systems were heavily engaged, and parts of the city suffered power cuts and suspension of public transport services.
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President Zelensky Calls for Enhanced Air Defense
In response to the aerial terror, President Zelensky reiterated an urgent appeal for international support to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
“We need more protection and faster implementation of all defense agreements, especially on air defense, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning,” President Zelensky said. He added that a “unilateral ceasefire in the skies is possible – and it is precisely that which could open the way to real diplomacy.”
International Response and Context
The widespread missile and drone threat prompted an immediate international military reaction. Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace, with the Polish military confirming that Polish and allied NATO aircraft were operating and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were brought to the highest state of readiness.
These assaults come days after a US official indicated that the United States would support Ukraine launching deep strikes inside Russian territory, signaling an escalation in the scope of the ongoing conflict.
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