Russia Ukraine Exchange Accusations After Overnight Strikes Kill Nine
In Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at the capital, with strikes affecting multiple districts and damaging civilian and other structures.
“Tragically, two men were killed in the enemy shelling… In the Podilskyi district, a missile struck a non-residential building, causing a fire,” the Kyiv City Military Administration said.
Authorities reported that another missile caused a fire at a garage cooperative in the Darnytskyi district. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze, although the attack caused damage to the site.
“Debris also fell in an open area at a separate location,” officials added.
Further casualties and damage were reported in several Ukrainian regions. In Dnipropetrovsk, authorities said two people were injured after strikes damaged an industrial facility, residential buildings and a sports club in the regional capital.
In Chernihiv region, five people were killed and 25 others injured when a missile struck an apartment building in the city of Pryluky, according to regional authorities.
Another two people were killed and seven injured in Poltava region following a separate attack.
In Zaporizhzhia, an overnight strike hit a transport infrastructure facility. Regional authorities warned that temporary restrictions could be introduced on some roads because of the damage caused by the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes involved missiles and drones and claimed that energy infrastructure was among the principal targets.
“One of the key targets was our energy infrastructure. The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively. This was one of the most vile strikes: 70 missiles in total, many of them ballistic, as well as ‘shaheds.’ Unfortunately, only some of them were shot down,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Zelenskyy also described the attacks as a “birthday gift” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while warning that ballistic missiles remained a major challenge for Ukraine. He said additional air defense systems were a “vital necessity” for the country.
Moscow offered a different account of the operation. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out a “massive strike” against facilities connected to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
The ministry said targets were located in Kyiv and the surrounding region as well as in Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Kharkiv and Odesa regions.
Russian authorities also reported extensive Ukrainian drone activity over Russian territory. The Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted 311 Ukrainian drones across 16 regions, as well as over the Black Sea, Sea of Azov and Crimea.
Casualties were also reported in Russian territory and areas under Russian control. Belgorod Governor Alexander Shuvaev said seven people were injured over a 24-hour period in three districts following Ukrainian attacks.
In the Russian-controlled part of Donetsk region, Horlivka Mayor Ivan Prikhodko reported that three people were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack.
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev said falling debris damaged a power line in the southern part of the region. Several villages were temporarily left without electricity while emergency crews worked to restore services and address the damage.
Ukraine’s Air Force also provided figures for the Russian operation, claiming that its air defenses destroyed 117 of 130 attack drones and intercepted 44 ballistic and cruise missiles. The total number of missiles launched was not specified.
The competing claims could not be independently verified because of the ongoing conflict and the difficulty of accessing affected areas.
The latest exchange comes as Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range attacks in recent months. Both sides have increasingly targeted logistics facilities, ports and energy infrastructure as the war continues.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly denied intentionally targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, saying their strikes are directed toward military targets or facilities they consider connected to military operations.
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