At least three people have been killed and more than 30 injured in a 'massive' overnight Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky says.
He states that regions across the country were targeted as part of a 'deliberate strategy' to intimidate civilians and destroy infrastructure, with a direct missile hit reported on a residential building.
Ukraine's air force reported that Moscow launched 619 drones and missiles. Conversely, Russia's defence ministry described the strike as utilizing 'precision weapons' aimed at military-industrial sites.
In a separate account, Russia announced that four people died in a Ukrainian drone attack on its Samara region, where Kyiv claimed to have hit a significant oil refinery.
Moreover, another Russian oil refinery in the neighboring Saratov region was also reported damaged due to Ukrainian strikes.
In a social media update, President Zelensky detailed that the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions faced aerial attacks overnight.
In Dnipro, he mentioned a 'direct hit of a missile with cluster munitions on a high-rise residential building'.
Verified footage by the BBC depicted a missile in flight and the aftermath of the attack, showing severe damage to buildings in Dnipro.
In the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev stated that the four fatalities resulted from an overnight strike by enemy drones, though details were otherwise scant.
Cross-border drone raids have become a significant feature of the ongoing conflict. Ukraine has systematically targeted Russian oil and crucial industrial facilities that bolster the war efforts.
This latest assault aligns with Russia's recent uptick in aerial attacks on Ukraine, amidst Kyiv and its allies' ongoing calls for a ceasefire.
Earlier this month, a missile strike hit a primary government building in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.
As the conflict continues, diplomatic engagements remain crucial, with President Zelensky scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly amid the ongoing crisis.
Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, the tensions have escalated, resulting in frequent strikes and casualties on both sides as combatants target critical infrastructure.
