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Russia launched more than 70 missiles of various types, nearly half of them ballistic, and almost 500 attack drones in a massive overnight strike against Ukraine, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of the assault, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, UATV English reports.
“The main strike was directed at Kyiv. Our air defenders managed to intercept a significant number of the incoming weapons, but not all of them,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the president, rescue operations are ongoing in the capital, where emergency crews continue clearing debris, searching for survivors, and assisting victims. More than 20 locations across the city were damaged, most of them residential buildings. A medical emergency station, a research institute, a hotel, and several businesses were also hit.
Zelenskyy said the attack killed 13 people in Kyiv and injured more than 90 others. Five more people, including a child, were wounded in the Kharkiv region, while two others were injured in the Kyiv region. Russia also struck the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Cherkasy regions.
The president stressed that strengthening Ukraine’s air defense remains a top priority.
“It is important that partners contribute to the PURL program because it directly saves lives. Every bilateral agreement on air defense genuinely helps. I am grateful to every leader who continues to support Ukraine,” he said.
Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of implementing agreements on joint anti-ballistic missile production and welcomed U.S. decisions regarding licenses for Patriot systems and other areas of defense cooperation.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense forces intercepted 48 Russian missiles and neutralized 476 drones during the overnight attack. Officials said the strike was notable for Russia’s simultaneous use of multiple types of aerial weapons launched from different directions, including a large number of ballistic missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones.
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