Nine dead, dozens injured in large-scale Russian attacks across Ukraine

Russia unleashed widespread missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, resulting in at least nine fatalities and dozens of injuries, according to authorities. The assaults followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warnings of an impending large-scale Russian offensive.

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed four deaths and at least 58 people injured, including two children, as air defenses engaged the incoming threats. Residents rushed to shelters amidst the chaos, with AFP journalists observing large plumes of smoke rising from the city center. "The enemy is attacking with long-range missiles," stated Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.

Beyond the capital, the city of Dnipro suffered significant casualties, with five people killed and 25 wounded in a Russian attack, three of whom sustained severe injuries, reported regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha. Kharkiv also reported 10 injuries, including a child, according to Mayor Igor Terekhov. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Kursk region, near the border, resulted in one fatality, as per regional governor Alexander Khinshtein. President Zelenskyy has reiterated his appeals to allies for the provision and funding of Patriot missile systems capable of intercepting Russia's long-range missiles.