By: Rejoice Henrietta Otoo Arthur
KYIV — At least nine people have been killed and over 70 injured after Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, with the capital Kyiv suffering the heaviest damage.
According to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, 77 people were wounded in the overnight strikes, 31 of whom are being treated in hospital.
Twelve buildings were damaged in the capital alone, including residential blocks, as emergency crews worked through the morning to search for survivors under rubble.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, was also targeted. The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, confirmed that a “densely populated area” was hit, damaging high-rise buildings, a school, and a hotel. Two people were reported injured in the strikes on Kharkiv, which included 14 drone attacks and 10 missile strikes.
This latest wave of Russian attacks is one of the most intense in recent months, hitting both civilians and infrastructure. Photos from the scenes showed rescue workers digging through collapsed buildings, smoke rising from damaged neighborhoods, and widespread destruction across urban areas.
Ukraine has repeatedly condemned Russia’s continued attacks on civilian areas, calling them acts of terrorism. The strikes have drawn strong criticism from both Ukrainian leaders and international observers, who warn that the violence is escalating as diplomatic efforts for peace remain stalled.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Five things you need to know this morning
- Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine last night, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70 in the capital city
- Six children are among those taken to hospital, and the search for survivors continues as phone calls have been heard from the wreckage, officials said. Other parts of Ukraine also came under attack, including Sumy and Zhytomyr
- The “brutal strikes, show that Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X
- Meanwhile, President Zelensky is in South Africa to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa. In the last hour, he cancelled part of the diplomatic trip to return home to Kyiv early after the deadly Russian attacks
- Before Russia launched its overnight attacks, US President Donald Trump accused the Ukrainian president of harming the peace negotiations and accused Zelensky of prolonging the “killing field”
Additional Information : BBC
