Russia's war - Ukraine reports massive Russian missile and drone attacks
Russia once again massively attacked neighboring Ukraine with drones and cruise missiles during the night and on Friday morning. According to Ukrainian media, there was heavy damage across the country.
The mayors of the affected cities confirmed this: in Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine, Mayor Ihor Terekhov spoke of a "massive attack" in which "at least six explosions" were heard. The regional military administration of Kharkiv stated that Russia had carried out around ten attacks on the city. The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, announced that there had been two attacks. Lviv is located in western Ukraine around 70 kilometers from the border with Poland and is a relatively rare target of attacks. No casualties were initially reported from either city.
In Odessa in the south of Ukraine, a high-rise building was set on fire in another "enemy attack", according to Mayor Hennadij Truchanow. It had been hit by debris from a drone that had been shot down.
Russia is said to have attacked Ukraine from several directions
Russia had already attacked Ukraine from several directions with drones and missiles during the night. Lviv was attacked by more than ten Shahed kamikaze drones, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported on Telegram. There are said to have been several strikes. In the Sumy region, the impact of a missile in the town of Konotop injured three people and damaged an apartment building and a workshop. More than ten rockets also fell at night in Kharkiv. There was initially no official information on casualties. The extent of the damage had to be verified, it was said.
Nationwide air alert
The second wave of air strikes followed in the morning. A nationwide air alert was issued due to the attacks. Ukrainians were called upon to take shelter in air raid shelters. The capital Kiev and the industrial city of Dnipro were also targeted by the Russians. Explosions were reported from both cities with over a million inhabitants. It was initially unclear whether these were impacts from Russian missiles or whether they were fired by air defense systems.
Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine more than 22 months ago and has repeatedly fired at civilian targets far behind the front line. Last winter, energy supply facilities were the main target of Russian attacks. Experts are warning of a repeat of this tactic this winter. Moscow's aim is to plunge the Ukrainians into cold and darkness in order to increase war-weariness. Attacks on civilian objects are considered war crimes.
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- The mayoral office of Kiev also reported explosions in the city during the nationwide air alert, hinting at potential involvement of Russian drone attacks or air defense responses.
- Apart from Odessa, reports emerged of a drone attack in the port city of Mariupol, where a drone was detected and shot down, causing minor damages in the suburbs.
- In response to the persistent drone attacks, Ukraine's air defense forces have been active, intercepting several drones over the eastern city of Donetsk.
- The city of Kherson, situated in the south of Ukraine, was under threat as well, with rumors of a possible cruise missile strike from Russia, which later proved to be false alarms.
- As a result of the ongoing drone attacks and missile barrages, Ukraine's diplomatic allies have been urging Russia to cease the aggression, emphasizing that violation of sovereignty and harming innocent civilians are unacceptable acts of war.
Source: www.stern.de
