Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv, overnight, killing at least 11 people and wounding over a 100 others.
This comes after days of warnings that Moscow was planning a major attack.
Russia launched 73 missiles and 656 drones at Ukraine starting 6 p.m. local time on Monday (1500 GMT), Ukraine’s air force said, adding that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been neutralized.
Kyiv was the main target, but drones struck 38 other sites across Ukraine, the air force said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it used high-precision, long-range weapons to strike Ukraine’s defense industry facilities. In a statement, the ministry said it carried out a “massive strike” and claimed to use “high-precision weapons.”
“The strike objectives have been achieved, all designated targets have been hit,” it claimed.
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Europe to develop its own air defense systems.
“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic defense so that this war can finally be brought to an end,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday. He also called for more support from Washington, saying their Patriot systems — which can intercept Russian ballistic missiles — are “absolutely necessary.”
Death toll rises
At least seven people were killed and 36 injured in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, according to the emergency service. That includes one rescue official who was killed in a second attack at the scene.
The injured were hospitalized and are reported to be in moderate condition, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said, sharing pictures of heavily damaged residential buildings and burned vehicles.
In Kyiv, at least four people were killed and 63 others injured, according to the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.
A suspected missile strike on a 24-floor apartment building in Kyiv triggered its collapse, with people likely trapped under the rubble, Klitschko said.
Other buildings caught fire from suspected missile debris, he added.
“In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris,” Klitschko said. “There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten.”
Air raid warnings rang across much of Ukraine on Tuesday morning, forcing Kyiv residents to take refuge in shelters and underground metro stations. Many residents also faced power outages and problems with the water supply.
In Kharkiv, at least 14 people were injured, according to the eastern city’s mayor.
The Ukrainian air force said Moscow had used ballistic and cruise missiles in the attacks, something it has done before.
Zelenskyy’s warning becomes reality
Hours before the attack, Zelenskyy had repeated warnings of a potentially major Russian assault. He had urged residents to stay alert and pay special attention to air raid sirens.
“Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one,” Zelenskyy had said in his nightly video address on Monday.
Russia, last week, warned that it intended to launch “systematic strikes” on Ukrainian military targets and decision centers in Kyiv and urged foreigners to leave the capital.
That was in response to a drone strike on a dormitory in Russian-held Luhansk region, which killed 21 people.
Ukraine has denied carrying out that attack.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is well into its fourth year with Moscow increasingly targeting power supplies while Kyiv is targeting its rival’s oil facilities. Several attempts at mediation to end the conflict have failed, especially with global attention diverted to the US-Israeli war with Iran.
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Edited by: Sean Sinico
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