At least five people have been killed and several injured in a wave of missile and drone attacks launched by Russia on Ukraine, officials reported on Tuesday. The strikes, which targeted multiple regions across the country, came a day after Moscow’s largest air assault on Ukraine since the start of the conflict.
According to regional officials, two individuals lost their lives when a hotel was destroyed by a missile in the central city of Kryvyi Rih. Additionally, three fatalities were reported in drone attacks on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attacks and urged international allies to provide long-range capabilities and consider joint air defense operations. He vowed that Kyiv would retaliate against Russia for the strikes.
The Ukrainian air force reported downing five out of 10 incoming missiles and 60 out of 81 drones. However, 10 drones remain unaccounted for, and one crossed into Belarusian territory.
The Russian defense ministry claimed its forces conducted a “high-precision weapon strike” on Ukraine, according to Interfax news agency. Despite this, Moscow denies targeting civilians, despite thousands of civilian casualties since the invasion began in February 2022.
Air defenses in Kyiv intercepted all incoming targets, resulting in no casualties. Emergency services extinguished two small fires caused by debris.
Governor Serhiy Lisak reported that two civilians were trapped under the debris of a hotel in Kryvyi Rih, with five injured. In addition, other casualties were reported from the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions.
