Ukraine suffers heavy casualties in new Russian missile and drone onslaught

Ukraine endured a significant Russian aerial assault overnight, with strikes targeting cities across the country, including those in the western regions far from the front lines. Ukrainian media reported that dozens of missiles and cruise missiles, along with hundreds of drones, were deployed in an attempt to overwhelm air defenses. Air raid sirens sounded nationwide.

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The Ukraine is again the target of a massive wave of attacks by the Russian military overnight, which even hit cities in the west of the country, far from the border.

Initial reports indicated at least eight fatalities and more than 30 injuries. The full extent of the damage became clearer as daylight broke. In a suburb of Kryvyi Rih, a residential building housing an extended family was struck by a missile, resulting in six deaths, including two children aged five and twelve, and eight injuries, according to "The Kyiv Independent" and Ukrinform. Two other deaths and numerous injuries were reported in Kyiv and the Poltava region. In Lviv, near the Polish border, 15 people were injured, and fires broke out in two large apartment blocks following missile impacts. Photos depicted large holes in the buildings, with rescue workers searching for survivors amid the rubble.

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The probability of another strike at night is high.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had preemptively warned of an imminent, large-scale Russian aerial attack. He cited a report from the Ukrainian Air Force chief, emphasizing the high probability of further strikes. Ukraine's armed forces have consistently highlighted their shortage of air defense missiles, particularly for countering fast-moving ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy used the warning to renew his appeal to Western partners, especially the United States, for advanced air defense systems like the Patriot, which he described as the only truly effective means against Russian ballistic missiles. The strengthening of Ukraine's air defenses was also a key topic during Zelenskyy's recent visit to Washington.

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Patriot systems are the only truly effective means against Russia's ballistic missiles.