Russian Air Strikes Kill 18 Across Ukraine

Russia carried out what Ukrainian officials described as its deadliest aerial assault in months, striking multiple Ukrainian cities overnight into Thursday and leaving at least 18 people dead. Ukrainian authorities reported fatalities in Odesa, Dnipro, and Kyiv, as air defenses worked to counter a large wave of drones and missiles.

Ukrainian officials said nine people were killed in Odesa and five in Dnipro. In Kyiv, authorities reported four deaths, including a child, and said 45 people were injured. Rescuers in the capital pulled a mother and child from a collapsed 16-story residential building in the Podil district, officials said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 659 drones and 44 cruise and ballistic missiles over a 24-hour period. It reported intercepting 636 drones and 31 missiles, while also recording direct hits in 26 locations. Ukrainian officials said the strikes affected several cities, underscoring the scale of the overnight barrage.

At the same time, Ukraine launched a drone attack in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, according to officials. That strike killed two people, including a child, the officials said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks and said they reinforced the case for sustained international sanctions against Russia and stronger military support for Ukraine. Zelensky has previously pointed to what he described as a critical shortage of Patriot air defense missiles, which he said are needed to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attacks as a war crime and called on allies to increase pressure on Moscow and speed up support. Sybiha specifically referenced a proposed 90 billion euro EU loan intended for defense and economic aid.