At least five people were killed after Russian launched a major overnight barrage of missiles and drones across several regions of Ukraine, in one of the heaviest aerial attacks reported in recent days.
Officials said the strikes hit multiple parts of the country early on Tuesday, with fatalities reported in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Poltava. In Kharkiv, authorities said a 61-year-old woman was killed when a drone struck an electric train.
The attack came only hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his nightly address that Russia could be preparing a massive strike. Later, in a post on X, he said the latest assault showed once again that Ukraine needed stronger protection to save lives from Russian attacks.
Hundreds of Drones and Missiles Launched
Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine on Monday night as Russia launched a broad aerial assault involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, guided air-launched missiles and hundreds of drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Military officials said air defences managed to intercept many of the incoming weapons, but damage was still reported in 11 regions.
This wave of strikes appeared to focus more heavily on cities outside the capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said attacks of this scale have been taking place roughly every week to 10 days in recent months, and there had already been growing concern that another major strike was imminent.
Zaporizhzhia and Poltava Among Hardest Hit
One of the worst affected areas was Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, where local officials said the city was struck by six drones followed by six ballistic missiles. One person was killed and nine others were injured after a residential high-rise was hit.
A local resident, Dymtro Zaiets, told Reuters that his family was jolted awake by a powerful explosion. He said they grabbed their belongings, fled downstairs, and rushed with their three-month-old baby to an underground shelter as fire and smoke spread through the building. He added that his car was destroyed and the apartment windows were blown out.
In the Poltava region, officials said strikes hit residential buildings and a hotel, killing at least two people and injuring 12 others. In Kherson, a civilian was killed when shelling hit his home, according to local authorities. Elsewhere, a 75-year-old woman was hospitalised after an attack in Dnipropetrovsk, while a 65-year-old bus driver was injured in Sumy after a drone hit his vehicle.
Moldova Warns of Fragile Energy Situation
The bombardment also affected neighbouring Moldova. Officials there said Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region disrupted the Isaccea-Vulcanesti power line, a key route Moldova uses to import electricity from Romania.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said alternative routes had been put in place but warned that the overall situation remained fragile. Moldova’s foreign ministry said the attack undermined regional energy security and endangered critical civilian infrastructure.
Fighting Continues Amid Wider Geopolitical Tensions
The latest Russian assault came as Moscow’s advance in eastern Ukraine has reportedly slowed, with Ukrainian forces claiming limited counteroffensive gains in some areas. Russia’s defence ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences intercepted dozens of Ukrainian drones overnight.
Zelensky has repeatedly argued that the wider conflict in the Middle East is affecting the war in Ukraine. He has warned that Russia may try to take advantage of the US-Israel war with Iran to intensify pressure on Ukraine while global attention is diverted elsewhere. In an earlier BBC interview, he said President Vladimir Putin wanted a prolonged Middle East conflict because it would weaken Kyiv by shifting US attention and resources away from Ukraine.
He also said that peace efforts had been repeatedly delayed, blaming the war in Iran for slowing diplomatic momentum. Ukrainian and US officials held talks over the weekend on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, marking the first such negotiations since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran last month. After those talks, Zelensky said it was clear that Washington’s attention was focused on Iran, but stressed that the war in Ukraine also needed to be brought to an end.
Several rounds of US-backed talks have so far failed to stop the fighting or soften Russia’s demands. At the same time, the Trump administration’s decision earlier this month to ease sanctions on countries buying Russian oil was welcomed by the Kremlin but raised deep concern in Ukraine.