Russian missile barrage kills 12, sparks international tension
At least 12 people were killed and dozens were injured across Ukraine during an overnight attack by Russia. Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia conducted attacks using 367 different missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It was the largest air assault on Ukrainian cities since the beginning of the war.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, reported that by 3:00 AM Eastern Time on Sunday, 12 people had been killed and over 60 injured as a result of the massive, combined attack.
The largest attack on Ukraine since the start of the war
According to the State Emergency Service (DSNS), three children aged 8, 12, and 17 were killed in Zhytomyr, as well as a 77-year-old man in Mykolaiv.
The attack came a day after one of the most powerful offensives on the capital city of Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
The head of Khmelnytskyi Regional Administration, Serhiy Turyan, reported four fatalities and five injuries due to recent Russian attacks. Six single-family houses were destroyed, over 20 were damaged, windows were shattered in an educational facility, and municipal transport was damaged.
The head of the Kyiv Regional Administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, reported three killed and ten injured. He posted photos on social media of several homes engulfed in flames following Russian attacks.
Later, DSNS reported that the death toll had increased to four, with 16 injured, including three children. In Kyiv, according to authorities, 11 people were injured, with numerous fires and damages in residential buildings, including a dormitory.
Hundreds of people took shelter in metro stations. The attacks took place on Sunday, the day of the annual Kyiv Day celebrations.
In many districts of the capital, drone debris was recorded, along with destruction, fires, and damage to a business center and dormitory.
In Kyiv Oblast, three people were killed, and ten were injured.
In Mykolaiv, one person was killed, and five were injured. A Russian drone hit a five-story building, and 210 residents were evacuated.
In Kharkiv, local authorities reported three injuries.
"Each such terrorist Russian strike is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia," wrote Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram. "Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day. The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin," he added.
Zelensky once again called on the West to tighten sanctions against Russia. He wrote that the world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. "Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. Sanctions will certainly help". He emphasised that Putin must be forced not to plan more missile attacks, but to end the war.
The video below shows the moment of the Iskander missile hitting the city of Chernihiv.
