Russian barrage kills several across Ukraine
Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 16 people and injured several others across Ukraine in overnight attacks, local authorities said Thursday.
Russian forces launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians.
It was the largest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the operation, saying the barage was launched "in retaliation" for Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, where long-range drones and missiles have hit Russian oil refineries and war-related manufacturing plants.
In the capital Kyiv, a 12-year-old child and three others were killed in a Russian strike, while nine people died in the southern port city of Odesa, officials said.
At least 18 people were injured in Kyiv, military administrator Tymur Tkachenko said, with local media reporting multiple explosions as missiles struck the city in several waves.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency teams had rescued a mother and child from a building in a central district of the city, where the ground floor was badly damaged.
In Dnipro, two people were killed and at least 27 injured, five of them criticallyImage: Dnipro Regional Military Administration/REUTERS
Firefighters struggled to control multiple blazes across Kyiv.
In Dnipro, a missile strike injured at least 27 people and set residential buildings on fire, regional authorities said. Five of the injured were in critical condition.
Blasts reported from across districts
European Council President Antonio Costa described the events as "yet another horrendous attack" while people slept in their homes.
Explosions were reported across multiple districts, with damage to residential and commercial buildings. The full extent of the damage and casualties remained unclear.
Air raid alerts were issued across several regions as attacks continued into the early morning.
On Wednesday evening, a Russian drone strike hit an apartment block in Odesa, killing at least one person and injuring six.
Ukraine's air force said it downed or neutralized 31 Russian missiles and 636 drones in attacks across the country.
"During this period, the enemy launched two waves of combined attacks on Ukrainian territory, using ground-based and air-launched missiles, as well as attack drones," the air force said in a statement on Telegram.
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'Pressure on Russia must work, says Zelenskyy
It all comes in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy, as his government races to obtain more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.
Ukraine is hoping allies can help to buy and build more air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday after meeting European allies in Germany.
"Every day we need air defense missiles — every day Russia continues its strikes," Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
"There can be no normalization of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work. And it is important to fulfill every promise of assistance to Ukraine on time," he added.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse