Russia has executed its most lethal assault on Ukraine this year, resulting in a minimum of 17 fatalities and over 100 injuries due to a series of drone and missile attacks throughout the nation.
The southern port city of Odesa reported nine deaths, while four individuals were killed in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old boy. Additionally, three people lost their lives in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and one more was killed in Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Air raid sirens began blaring in the capital at approximately 2:30 AM on Thursday, quickly followed by the sounds of explosions and the booming responses of Ukrainian air defense systems. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched nearly 700 drones along with numerous ballistic and cruise missiles during this offensive.
Mykhailo Barvinko, a 27-year-old PhD student, recounted his experience to the Guardian: “I heard the air raid alarm and was preparing to head to the bomb shelter when my windows shattered. There was a flash, and two seconds later, a massive blast wave hit.” Although Barvinko was unharmed, his third-floor apartment in the Podilskyi district of Kyiv suffered damage. He expressed confusion over Russia’s motives, stating, “We are civilians. It’s really surreal. We had no grievances against them. One day, Russia decides it has to kill and destroy us.”
Another survivor, Olena, shared that she had fallen asleep after the initial drone strikes, only to be awakened by incoming missiles. “It was 6:53 AM. My clock toppled over, and the battery fell out, allowing me to check the time. We were terrified and could hear plaster crumbling. Our windows were damaged,” she recalled.
These recent attacks came shortly after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine was nearing depletion of its US-supplied Patriot air defense missiles. In a statement last week, he remarked, “The situation is at such a deficit, it could not be any worse.”
Since the onset of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has consistently targeted civilian structures and vital infrastructure. Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the scale of these assaults has escalated, leading to extended blackouts this winter in Kyiv and other cities.
Ukraine noted that hundreds of Patriot missiles were expended during the early days of the conflict with Iran, as Tehran launched attacks on its Gulf neighbors using domestically produced Shahed drones. This has resulted in a diminished availability of advanced US missiles for Ukraine’s defense.
Zelenskyy undertook visits to Germany, Norway, and Italy on Tuesday and Wednesday to bolster his nation’s air defense capabilities. Ukraine has developed innovative drones designed to intercept Shahed drones and has established long-term military production partnerships with various Gulf nations.
While Kyiv is exploring a more cost-effective alternative to the Patriot system, it currently lacks the ability to replicate the US technology, which can intercept ballistic missiles. In a message on X, Zelenskyy emphasized, “Another night has shown that Russia does not merit any relaxation of international policy or lifting of sanctions.”
During an award ceremony in the Netherlands on Thursday, he labeled Putin as a global menace. He called upon the international community to sustain its economic and military support for Ukraine and observed a moment of silence for the most recent victims of Russia’s attacks.
Zelenskyy articulated that Ukrainians do not possess the “fundamental freedom” to live without fear. “Freedom from destruction, freedom from those who bring devastation, freedom from those who wish to obliterate everything vital to ordinary people,” he stated.
As dawn approached on Thursday, thick plumes of black smoke rose over Kyiv. Among the injured were three police officers and four medical personnel who responded to the initial strikes, only to be caught in a subsequent “double tap” attack.
Rescue teams worked to clear debris and cordoned off a three-meter-long enemy missile found in a courtyard. This assault marked one of the largest in weeks; in March, Russia unleashed 948 drones and 34 missiles within 24 hours, marking the most significant attack on civilian areas to date.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, took to social media to condemn such attacks, stating, “These acts cannot become normalized. They are war crimes that must be halted, and those responsible should be held accountable.”
In contrast, the regional governor of Krasnodar, Veniamin Kondratyev, reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman died due to Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, claiming the attacks caused damage to residential buildings.
Ukraine’s military confirmed that it had targeted infrastructure in Tuapse as part of its operations against Russian oil facilities that finance the Kremlin’s military efforts. Furthermore, it stated that two oil depots in Russian-occupied Crimea were also struck.
Tuapse is a critical southern port for Russia, acting as a hub for oil product exports and handling various cargoes, including coal and fertilizers. It also houses an oil refinery of the same name, owned by Rosneft, the largest oil producer in Russia.
