Russia conducted a significant drone and missile assault on Ukraine early Friday, resulting in the deaths of six individuals in Kyiv and two more in the southern region due to strikes on energy facilities, residential buildings, and infrastructure, as confirmed by Ukrainian authorities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that the Russian forces utilized 430 drones and 18 missiles, marking it as one of the most extensive attacks on the capital to date. Kyiv retaliated with long-range strikes while urging allies to enhance sanctions against Russia.
Although the air force reported that the majority of the drones and missiles were intercepted, falling debris and fires caused damage to tall residential buildings, a school, a medical facility, and administrative structures across nine districts in the city with a population of around three million.
Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, stated that at least 34 people, including two children, were wounded in various parts of the city, with a pregnant woman among the nine individuals receiving hospital treatment. Partial power outages were announced in central Kyiv, the southern Odesa region, and the eastern Donetsk region, according to the energy ministry.
Images captured flames engulfing several locations within the city as residents sought refuge amidst the debris-laden streets outside residential complexes post-attack. Anastasia, 29, recounted the chaos when her apartment building was struck, describing the dilemma of deciding whether to prioritize personal safety, her child’s well-being, or assisting other distressed individuals amid the chaos.
In the Kyiv region beyond the capital, the governor reported injuries to six individuals, including a seven-year-old child, due to drone and missile strikes that triggered multiple fires. Additionally, a 55-year-old man in Bila Tserkva sustained burns and was hospitalized as a result of the attacks.
Russia commenced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, initiating an ongoing state of intense conflict between the two neighboring nations. Zelenskyy highlighted that debris from an Iskander missile struck the Azerbaijani Embassy, prompting Azerbaijan to summon the Russian ambassador in protest. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed damage to the embassy’s perimeter wall and compound without any casualties.
Furthermore, Russia’s Novorossiysk Black Sea port faced a temporary suspension of oil exports following a drone attack attributed to Ukraine, causing disruptions to global supply. The incident also inflicted damage on a docked vessel, residential buildings, and an oil storage facility in Novorossiysk, resulting in injuries to three crew members.
The assault on Russian oil-exporting infrastructure comes in the wake of heightened Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, aiming to undermine Moscow’s financial capabilities in sustaining the conflict. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium briefly halted oil loadings from Kazakhstan through the Yuzhnaya Ozereevka terminal following the air alert, which resumed after the situation stabilized. Reports indicated that the Ukrainian attack targeted two oil berths at the Sheskharis terminal, with local authorities confirming the extinguishment of a fire at the depot.
While Reuters could not independently verify the attack accounts, Russian crude oil shipments through Novorossiysk’s Sheskharis terminal witnessed significant volumes and are critical to global energy supply. Notably, the Sierra Leone-flagged Arlan oil tanker was among the vessels affected during the onslaught, with three injured crew members receiving medical attention.
Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukrainian forces deployed the “Long Neptune” cruise missiles against targets in Russia, emphasizing their increasing effectiveness in combat scenarios. The Russian Defence Ministry reported downing 216 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, underscoring the escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict.