Russia launches longest-range airstrike against Ukraine since the start of the war
Moscow attacks around thirty towns and leaves at least twelve dead and around eighty wounded
BarcelonaRussia carried out its largest airstrike against Ukraine on Saturday night since the war began in February 2022. At least twelve people were killed, including three children, and dozens were injured. Specifically, Moscow fired nearly 69 missiles at the country overnight and launched nearly 300 explosive drones. The Ukrainian Air Force reported on its Telegram account that it managed to shoot down 45 missiles and 266 drones in northern, southern, eastern, and western Ukraine, but was unable to prevent the rest from hitting and causing dozens of casualties. Ukrainian emergency services described the attack as "massive," as they had to intervene in thirty cities and towns across the country.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that also during Saturday night the country's anti-aircraft defenses have shot down 110 Ukrainian drones, thirteen of which were headed to Moscow. In fact, three airports in the capital, Vnukovo, Domodevo and Zhukovsky, temporarily cancelled their operations this Sunday to guarantee flight safety.
The attacks occur after Moscow and Kiev held direct talks in Istanbul on Friday of last week, which were the first in three years and in which they agreed the largest exchange of prisoners of war between both countries; a thousand prisoners per side, which began to take shape this Friday and was completed today, Sunday, according to official sources from both countries. However, Russia has maintained its offensive against Ukraine. This Saturday, it severely punished its capital. For its part, Ukraine also continues its counterattack.
"Russia is prolonging this war and continues to kill every day. The world can go on a weekend, but the war continues, regardless of whether it's a weekend or a weekday. That cannot be ignored. The silence of the United States, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin," the Ukrainian president wrote. He added: "Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leader, this brutality will stop. Sanctions will certainly help. Now determination matters: the determination of the United States, of European countries, and of all those around the world who seek peace."
Zelensky detailed that some of the areas attacked are Kiev, Khitomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumi, Odessa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Cherkassi, with many of the targets being residential buildings. For example, in the capital, one of the affected buildings was a university dormitory.
"More than 80 residential buildings have been damaged. Twenty-seven fires have been reported, and firefighters are still extinguishing the flames," said Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko. "It was a combined and ruthless attack targeting civilians. The enemy has once again demonstrated that their goal is fear and death," he said.
The governor of the region surrounding the capital, Mikola Kalashnik, reported on his Telegram channel the deaths of three people in the Obukhiv and Butxa districts, while another ten were injured elsewhere in the province.
Meanwhile, the emergency services reported the death of a 77-year-old person in the Mikolaiv region, in the south of the country, where at least five others were also injured, including a teenager. Two women are in serious condition.
In the Khmelnytskyi region in the west of the country, four people have died and five have been injured after Russian shells hit around twenty homes, a school, and several vehicles.
The list of affected buildings and facilities in the country is extensive. The death toll is at least twelve, and the number of injured has reached almost eighty.
