Air defences shot down or disabled 552 of the 579 long-range drones and intercepted several ballistic missiles, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said. But some projectiles hit residential areas, causing casualties and damage.
The deadliest strike occurred in the city of Dnipro, where a missile carrying cluster munitions hit an apartment block. Rescue operations were continuing on Saturday morning. Officials reported at least three civilians killed and dozens injured nationwide.
The strikes also targeted Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as the Kyiv area, leading to explosions and fires, regional authorities said.
"All night, Ukraine was under a massive attack by Russia," Zelensky wrote on social media.
"The enemy launched 40 missiles – cruise and ballistic – and about 580 drones of various types. I thank all our warriors who defended the skies throughout the night, and our F-16 pilots, who once again proved their prowess today."
Zelensky said the attacks underscored Russia’s deliberate strategy to "terrorize civilians and destroy our infrastructure."
He urged Ukraine’s partners to step up supplies of air defence systems and weapons, and to tighten sanctions on Moscow.
"Every restriction on Russia saves lives," he said.
(ał)
Source: IAR