At least 18 people, including two children, were killed and more than 100 injured after Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The strikes hit several regions, with the heaviest damage reported in Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro, as Moscow and Kyiv continued to exchange attacks amid the ongoing war.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched 656 drones and 73 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles, targeting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities across the country.
In Dnipro, 12 people were killed after an apartment building was struck. Regional officials said the victims included an eight-year-old boy and a woman whose bodies were recovered from the rubble. Another child was also among those killed.
In Kyiv, six people died and dozens were injured as explosions and air raid alerts continued through the night. Fires broke out at several locations, including residential areas, while power outages were reported in parts of the capital.
“The main strike was on Kyiv, where dozens of residential buildings and other purely civilian infrastructure were damaged again,” Zelensky said on social media, renewing calls for additional Patriot air-defence missiles from Western allies.
Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine also came under attack, with local authorities reporting damage to energy facilities and civilian infrastructure. Ten people, including a child, were injured. An industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia was also hit.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes were conducted in response to previous Ukrainian attacks and claimed all intended targets had been successfully hit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would continue what he described as “systematic strikes” against Ukrainian military infrastructure.
Ukraine disputed the claim, saying civilian areas had been targeted. Ukrainian officials also confirmed overnight strikes on military and industrial facilities inside Russia, including in the Kursk and Krasnodar regions.
The latest assault comes amid a renewed escalation in hostilities, with both sides intensifying long-range attacks following the collapse of a brief ceasefire in early May.
