Ukraine was hit by one of the largest overnight aerial assaults in recent months, leaving at least three people dead and more than 30 injured.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes were part of a deliberate campaign to intimidate civilians and destroy vital infrastructure. Regions across the country, including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv, were among those targeted.
In Dnipro, a missile carrying cluster munitions struck a high-rise residential building, causing widespread damage and civilian casualties.
Ukraine’s military reported that Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles in the attack, while Moscow claimed its strikes were aimed at military-industrial sites.
The conflict also spilled across borders. Russian authorities said four people were killed in the Samara region during a Ukrainian drone strike that targeted an oil refinery. Ukraine also confirmed hitting another refinery in the neighboring Saratov region.
Cross-border drone raids have become a defining feature of the war, with Kyiv focusing on Russian oil and industrial facilities to weaken Moscow’s war effort. At the same time, Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks, hitting deeper into Ukrainian cities.
The strike came just days before President Zelensky is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the war is set to dominate discussions.
Tensions are also mounting within NATO, after Estonia, Poland, and Romania reported recent violations of their airspace by Russian jets and drones. The incidents have fueled fears of a broader escalation beyond Ukraine’s borders.