At least 8 killed as Russia strikes Ukraine a day after Zelenskyy warning
Russian forces launched a series of missile strikes across Ukraine early Thursday, resulting in at least eight deaths. The assault occurred one day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a potential massive offensive. Impact sites stretched from Kyiv in the north to Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv in the west.
In Kryvyi Rih, the president's hometown, a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile struck a residential building. Local officials confirmed the death of six people in this single attack, including two children aged five and twelve. Emergency crews continue to operate in Lviv, where damage to apartment buildings resulted in at least 26 injuries.
The strikes also affected international borders. Polish armed forces scrambled fighter jets after debris from an object, identified by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as a Russian Kh-101 missile, landed in eastern Poland. While the object fell in an uninhabited area and caused no direct casualties, the incursion into Polish airspace prompted strong condemnation from French leadership and regional authorities.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated the operation targeted military facilities across the country and cargo ships near Odesa. Meanwhile, retaliatory Ukrainian drone strikes occurred on Russian soil. One such attack ignited a warehouse belonging to the retailer Wildberries in the city of Penza, leading to evacuations and injuries.
President Zelenskyy utilized the aftermath to repeat requests for additional air defense systems from Western allies. The European Union responded by disbursing 3.47 billion euro to Ukraine to assist with immediate military requirements, including the procurement of interceptor missiles and drones. Officials maintain that the recent escalation underscores the critical need for expanded anti-missile coverage.