Nighttime Russian drone and missile attacks struck across Ukraine, killing at least five people on Tuesday, a day after a heavy barrage pounded energy facilities throughout the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks included 81 drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles and that 16 people were injured. He said four people died, but the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region later said a fifth person had died there from burns in the attacks.
Quick Read
- Russian nighttime drone and missile attacks across Ukraine killed at least five people on Tuesday, following a heavy barrage that targeted energy facilities the previous day.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 81 drones, along with cruise and ballistic missiles, were used in the attacks, which also injured 16 people.
- Four people were initially reported dead, but the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region later confirmed a fifth death due to burns sustained in the attacks.
- Zelenskyy condemned the attacks as crimes against humanity and vowed a response, while also urging allies to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons.
- The Kyiv region experienced five air alerts overnight, with air defenses reportedly destroying all incoming drones and missiles, though falling debris caused forest fires.
- U.S. President Joe Biden called Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure “outrageous” and emphasized the prioritization of U.S. air defense exports to Ukraine, alongside efforts to bolster Ukraine’s energy grid.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attacks targeted critical energy infrastructure linked to Ukraine’s military operations, stating that all designated targets were hit.
- Meanwhile, in Russia, officials reported the downing of four Ukrainian missiles over the Kursk region, where ongoing fighting has raised concerns about the nearby nuclear power plant.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi visited the plant in the Kursk region on Tuesday but has not yet provided a public assessment.
The Associated Press has the story:
Russian missiles and drones strike across Ukraine and kill at least 5 people
Newslooks- KYIV, Ukraine (AP) —
Nighttime Russian drone and missile attacks struck across Ukraine, killing at least five people on Tuesday, a day after a heavy barrage pounded energy facilities throughout the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks included 81 drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles and that 16 people were injured. He said four people died, but the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region later said a fifth person had died there from burns in the attacks.
“We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for this and all other attacks. Crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished.” Zelenskyy wrote on X. In the Kyiv region, which had struggled with blackouts after Monday’s onslaught, five air alerts were called during the night. The regional administration said air defenses destroyed all the drones and missiles but that falling debris set off forest fires.
After the Monday barrage across Ukraine of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said “the energy infrastructure has once again become the target of Russian terrorists” and urged Ukraine’s allies to provide it with long-range weapons and permission to use them on targets inside Russia.
President Joe Biden called Monday’s Russian attack on energy infrastructure “outrageous” and said he had “reprioritized U.S. air defense exports so they are sent to Ukraine first.” He also said the U.S. was “surging energy equipment to Ukraine to repair its systems and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s energy grid.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said the attacks used “long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones against critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. All designated targets were hit.”
In Russia, meanwhile, officials reported four Ukrainian missiles were shot down over the Kursk region, where Russian forces are fighting Ukrainian troops that made a surprise incursion this month. The fighting in the region has raised concerns about the nuclear power plant there. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi arrived inspected the plant on Tuesday, but did not immediately give a public assessment.
