Russia launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on Ukraine on Thursday, striking multiple cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Lviv. The attack occurred hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned of an imminent major Russian assault. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the attacks, which extended into Polish airspace, prompting an investigation into an airspace violation.
Reports on casualties vary among sources, with at least 8 to 14 people confirmed killed across multiple Ukrainian cities. According to reports, victims included civilians of various ages, with children among the dead. Multiple people were also wounded in the strikes. One death was reported in Kyiv, while other significant casualties occurred in the affected regions.
Zelenskyy, who was returning from the United States at the time of the attacks, reiterated calls for Western allies to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems to protect against such strikes. The Estonian president also weighed in, warning that Russia’s war “continues to endanger lives far beyond Ukraine” and expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
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