Russia conducted a prolonged assault on Ukrainian targets that extended through the night and into the following day, deploying ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and combat drones against civilian and military infrastructure. Ukrainian forces reported intercepting seven ballistic missiles and 258 drones during the campaign. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the strikes were aimed at ports, grain storage facilities, energy infrastructure, industrial sites and other civilian targets.
Casualties and damage were reported across multiple Ukrainian cities and regions. In Kharkiv, an attack on a shopping center resulted in one death and two injuries. Strikes also affected commercial facilities in the Kyiv area, including a retail distribution center and warehouse belonging to the chocolate company Roshen. Industrial and energy infrastructure sustained damage in the Poltava, Odesa, and Kryvyi Rih regions. A thermal power plant in Kherson was heavily damaged, with the facility’s CEO noting that the plant served civilian heating needs for residential buildings.
Regional officials issued evacuation advisories in areas facing prolonged utility disruptions. The Kherson regional governor warned residents to leave the city if possible, particularly families with children and elderly people, due to expectations of extended power and heating outages.
Developments extended beyond Ukraine’s borders as six Russian drones crossed into Moldovan airspace, prompting President Maia Sandu to issue a condemnation. Meanwhile, Russia faced ongoing challenges to its petroleum sector, with Ukrainian strikes having damaged refinery capacity to the point where Russia is now importing processed fuel from neighboring countries including Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Belarus.
European Union matters also emerged as four member states called for renewed consideration of utilizing frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukrainian reconstruction and defense efforts. Additionally, Slovakian prosecutors announced the detention of suspects in connection with a planned arson attack on a Ukrainian drone manufacturer operating in eastern Slovakia.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI