Russia strikes Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least nine
Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone barrage on Ukrainian cities, killing at least nine people and striking targets in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, according to regional authorities.
Strikes hit multiple regions
The attacks, which struck overnight on Tuesday, hit residential areas and infrastructure in at least three Ukrainian regions, according to Africanews, which cited regional officials. Emergency services were deployed across the affected cities as reports of damage and casualties continued to emerge through the morning.
Missile and drone strikes on Zaporizhzhia, a southern city near the frontline of the conflict, and Dnipropetrovsk, in central-eastern Ukraine, came alongside renewed attacks on the capital Kyiv. The barrage underscored the continued vulnerability of cities far from the front to long-range Russian weaponry.
Background on the war
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the conflict is now in its fourth year. Throughout the war, Russian forces have conducted regular long-range strikes on Ukrainian urban centres, at times targeting energy infrastructure and at other times hitting residential areas. Ukraine has responded with drone attacks of its own on Russian territory.
Kyiv, a city of several million residents before the war, has been hit repeatedly during the conflict. Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding region have also faced sustained bombardment, in part because of their proximity to a nuclear power plant that has drawn repeated international concern.
Casualty toll and reporting
Regional authorities in the three affected areas confirmed the deaths, with the toll of at least nine likely to be revised as rescue and recovery operations continue, as Africanews reported. Information from active conflict zones often shifts in the hours and days after an attack as access is restored and assessment teams complete their work.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
