Russia launched an unprecedented air assault on Ukraine since the start of full-scale war, targeting cities throughout the country with missile and drone strikes described by Ukrainian officials as unprecedented in scale and intensity. At least 27 people were reported killed, and over 100 injured from this overnight barrage.
Attackers launched an assault that started late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, targeting urban centers including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Lviv. Ukrainian air defense forces reported intercepting several threats but found themselves overwhelmed due to sheer volume.
“Russia launched more than 120 missiles and over 70 Iranian-made Shahed drones against Ukraine since February 2022,” reported Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine’s Air Force. While our forces intercepted most, some did make their way through.
Images posted to social media and Ukrainian news outlets showed buildings engulfed in flames, residential blocks reduced to rubble, and emergency crews desperately searching for survivors from amongst the wreckage. At least 14 people in Kyiv alone have been confirmed dead after being struck by cruise missiles fired by Russia; Kyiv’s power grid sustained extensive damage, leaving several districts without electricity or running water service.
“Russia’s intention was clear — to spread terror and break our spirit,” noted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a televised address. However, Ukraine stands united and every life lost strengthens their resolve to defend our land and freedom.
Near the Polish border in Lviv, officials reported that university buildings and children’s hospitals were damaged by debris from intercepted missiles that fell from above, damaging both institutions by showering glass fragments or shrapnel onto them. No deaths were reported there but several dozen individuals suffered injuries from glass shrapnel fragments.
Military analysts suspect the attack was intended to cripple Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and send a warning signal as the war nears its third year. Furthermore, it coincides with a major meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels – further fuelling speculation that Moscow was trying to undermine support for Kyiv from allies such as NATO defense ministers.
Russia’s Defense Ministry issued a brief statement confirming its attack, calling it a strategic operation against military-industrial facilities and transportation hubs used by Ukrainian forces and their foreign backers. All targets had allegedly been hit successfully; however, no information has been made public regarding potential civilian casualties.
The United Nations strongly condemned this attack and requested an immediate cessation of hostilities. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned of deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure as being unacceptable and may constitute war crimes under international law.
On Saturday afternoon, air raid sirens continued to sound across numerous Ukrainian regions as authorities warned of potential follow-up attacks. Schools and public services were suspended in most major cities while residents were strongly encouraged to remain in shelters.
Ukraine is embarking on another round of rescue and recovery operations, and officials anticipate international partners stepping up both humanitarian aid and military support due to what they call a “brutal escalation”.
“This isn’t simply an attack against Ukraine,” noted Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “It represents an attack against global security and international order.”