A Russian aerial bombardment lasting more than 12 hours killed at least four people and injured more than 70 in Ukraine. The Kyiv attack was one of the heaviest in recent months with hundreds of drones and missiles fired at several regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Kyiv attack as vile and said Russia only wants to continue fighting and killing. A 12 year old girl was among the dead in Kyiv. More than 100 civilian sites were damaged including hospitals schools and homes. Emergency services said a nurse and a patient were killed when strikes hit the Institute of Cardiology in Kyiv.
Other targets included a bakery a factory and apartment blocks. Casualties were also reported in Zaporizhzhia Sumy Mykolaiv Chernihiv Khmelnytskyi and Odesa. Zelensky promised Ukraine would strike back and called for stronger action from Europe and the United States.
The Kyiv attack also raised alarms in nearby countries. Poland scrambled jets as drones entered western Ukraine. Denmark confirmed drones were seen over military sites for the second night in a row. NATO said it will increase surveillance in the Baltic Sea and expand air defences along its eastern border.
Russia claimed it only targeted military facilities but Ukraine said the strikes were aimed at civilians. The Kyiv attack shows Moscow is escalating its war despite global pressure for peace.
