Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on social media, calling it further evidence that Russia “does not feel enough pressure” to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine. “As of now, 17 people are known to have been injured. Unfortunately, six people were killed, among them two children,” Zelensky said.

Journalists in Kyiv reported hearing multiple explosions during the night, with a large plume of smoke rising above the capital. The energy ministry confirmed that emergency power outages had been implemented across most regions in response to the strikes, which hit vital energy infrastructure.

In a separate statement, Russia claimed to have intercepted 33 Ukrainian drones during the night’s assault but reported no significant damage.

The attack follows a diplomatic setback, as a planned presidential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was abruptly canceled on Tuesday. Trump had previously proposed peace talks in Budapest aimed at ending the war. However, he abandoned the plans, citing concerns over a “wasted” meeting, and continuing pressure on Ukraine to cede territory in the eastern Donbas region.

Ukraine has firmly rejected any suggestion of giving up land to Russia, with European allies supporting Kyiv’s stance. Zelensky, reacting to the canceled talks, said, “Russian words about diplomacy mean nothing as long as the Russian leadership does not feel critical problems.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, was framed as a “special military operation” by President Vladimir Putin, aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine and preventing NATO expansion. However, Kyiv and its allies argue that the war is an illegal land grab that has caused tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and widespread destruction.

Source: Punch

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Photos shared by Fedorov from the aftermath show a partially destroyed multi-story residential building and a charred vehicle stark images of the damage left behind.

The attack came amid a nationwide air raid alert that began around 4:09 a.m. local time, prompting emergency responses not only within Ukraine but also in neighboring Poland.

Poland’s armed forces announced on X that fighter jets had been scrambled and air defense systems placed on high alert to monitor and protect the country’s airspace, particularly in areas bordering Ukraine.

Further west, cities like Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk experienced disruptions. Lviv’s mayor cited a “massive enemy attack” as the reason for halting public transportation, while in Ivano-Frankivsk, transit services were delayed until later in the day.

Read Also: Russian Airstrikes Injure 10 in Ukraine Amid Rising Tensions

The strikes also targeted critical infrastructure. Fedorov reported that over 73,000 people in the Zaporizhzhia region were left without electricity following the overnight bombardment. In Lviv, parts of the city also experienced power outages.

The assault follows a week of intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems, including the largest strike to date on the country’s gas infrastructure. On Saturday alone, around 50,000 homes in the northern Chernigiv region were left without power due to similar attacks.

As temperatures drop and winter approaches, these strikes on energy facilities are expected to further strain Ukraine’s already battered infrastructure raising concerns about civilian resilience and the continued need for international support.

Source: Punch

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“Russia launched another massive air attack on Ukrainian cities while people were sleeping,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X, posting video of flames pouring from a residential building. “Again, hundreds of drones and missiles, destroying residential buildings and causing civilian casualties.”

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed six people were wounded in the strikes, five of whom were hospitalized. In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, at least four additional injuries were reported.

“These are deliberate attacks on civilians,” said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office. “There will be a response to these actions. But the West’s economic blows against Russia must also be stronger.”

In response to the air assault near its border, Poland’s armed forces said they deployed fighter jets and placed air defense systems on high alert as a precautionary measure to protect its airspace and citizens.

The incident follows several recent airspace violations reported by NATO members, which have accused Russia of deploying drones and jets over alliance territory. Russia has denied any such incursions, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warning NATO countries against hostile actions.

“Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response,” Lavrov said during his address to the UN General Assembly in New York. Speaking to reporters afterward, he added, “If any country downs objects still within Russian airspace, they will very much regret it.”

Read Also: 15 killed, 75 injured in Russian attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also speaking after his return from New York, confirmed that a US-made Patriot air defense system supplied via Israel is now operational in Ukraine. He said two more systems are expected to arrive in the autumn.

While Israel initially maintained a neutral stance in the conflict, tensions with Russia have escalated due to Moscow’s growing ties with Iran and criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Both Ukraine and Russia confirmed over the weekend that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces, has been disconnected from the national grid for the past four days. The outage has renewed concerns over a potential nuclear safety crisis.

Source: Punch

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Moscow, he said, would view that as the direct participation of Nato countries in the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin leader continued that it would substantially change the very essence, the nature of the conflict which will mean that Nato countries, the USA and European states, are fighting with Russia.

He claimed that, for missile launches into Russia, Ukraine would require data from Western satellites and that only servicemen from Nato member states would be able to input flight missions into these missile systems.

Russia has drawn red lines before. And seen them crossed before.

On 24 February 2022, when he announced the start of his special military operation – the full-scale invasion of Ukraine – President Putin issued a warning to those who may be tempted to interfere from the outside.

Western leaders ignored what was widely interpreted at the time as nuclear sabre-rattling. The West has since provided Ukraine with tanks, advanced missile systems and, most recently, F-16 American fighter jets.

This year Russia has already accused Ukraine of using American long-range ATACMS missiles to target Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is in Washington for talks with President Biden. Among the issues the two leaders are expected to discuss is the question of Ukraine and long-range missiles.

Western leaders will need to decide which they consider greater: the risk of escalation of this conflict, or the need to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of western missiles.

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Officials said at least two people were killed in an attack on a hotel in the central city of Kryvyi Rih and two more died in a wave of drone strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region in the south east.

Ukrainian monitors had earlier detected Russian aircraft launching hypersonic missiles and the air force said it had shot down five missiles and 60 drones.

It was learnt that at least six people died overnight Sunday to Monday and dozens were wounded as more than half of Ukraine’s regions were attacked by drones and missiles.

Power infrastructure was hit causing blackouts in many cities, with water supplies also affected.

A statement from the Russian defence ministry said long-range air and sea-based precision weaponry had been used to strike power stations and related infrastructure across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Lviv and the Kharkiv and Odesa regions.

US President Joe Biden called the attacks outrageous, saying Washington would continue to support Ukraine’s energy grid while UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Russia’s cowardly missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure”.

In the latest attacks overnight into Tuesday, Russia said it had launched 10 missiles and 81 drones.

A hotel was struck by a ballistic missile in Kryvyi Rih late on Monday, killing a man and a woman and leaving several others wounded. Two people were reported missing.

Kryvyi Rih is the home city of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Monday,  Zelensky called on Western allies including the UK, the US and France to change their rules and let Ukraine use their weapons to strike deeper inside Russia.

Ukraine is allowed to use some Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia – but not long-range weapons.

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The military regime in the West African state had turned to the notorious Wagner group in 2021, seeking support in fighting jihadist and separatist forces.

The Russian outfit – which has now morphed into a group named Africa Corps – said it had joined Mali’s military in fierce battles against separatist rebels and jihadist militants last week.

However, the separatists launched a major attack, killing an estimated 20 to 50 mercenaries, sources close to Africa Corps told the BBC.

Similarly, several Russian military bloggers reported that at least 20 were killed in the ambush near the north-eastern town of Tinzaouaten.In an official statement posted to Telegram, the Russian mercenary group did not specify how many of their troops had died, but they confirmed suffering losses. This included a commander, Sergei Shevchenko, who was killed in action.The mercenaries initially destroyed most of the Islamists and put the rest to flight”, the statement said.
The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), a separatist group dominated by the Tuareg ethnic group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Dozens of volunteers including hospital staff and rescue workers dug through debris from the Okhmatdyt paediatric hospital in a desperate search for survivors after the rare day-time bombardment.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched dozens of missiles toward five towns and cities in southern and eastern Ukraine as well as the capital.

Zelensky said at least 37 people were killed, including three children, with more than 170 wounded.   The strikes damaged nearly 100 buildings, including multiple schools and a maternity hospital, he added.

The air force said air defence systems downed 30 projectiles.

Zelensky called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the barrage and urged Ukraine’s allies to deliver a stronger response to Russia’s attack.

Following the strikes, US President Joe Biden  promised new measures to boost Ukraine’s air defences.

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