Russia Launches Massive Strikes on Ukraine

Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on southern and central Ukraine, killing one person and injuring at least 28 others, including three children, local officials said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported Moscow launched over 500 drones and 45 missiles, striking 14 regions nationwide. The attacks damaged railway infrastructure near Kyiv and triggered widespread fires in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Pavlohrad.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed all “designated targets” were hit.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said it struck Russian oil refineries in Krasnodar and Syzran, causing fires and significant damage. Russian officials confirmed drone strikes at the Krasnodar refinery but reported no casualties.

The Russian military also announced the capture of Komyshevakha, a rural settlement in Donetsk, though Kyiv has not confirmed this.

The escalation comes just days after Ukraine suffered its second-largest aerial attack of the war, which left at least 23 dead.

European foreign ministers meeting in Denmark this weekend are set to discuss freezing €210bn of Russian assets and possible new sanctions, with France pushing to further restrict Moscow’s war resources.

President Zelensky condemned the strikes as proof of Russia’s “disregard for words,” urging harsher sanctions from the US and Europe.