KYIV (Reuters) -Russia launched a major drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight, killing three people and injuring dozens, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday.
In a statement on the Telegram app, Zelenskiy said Russia launched around 580 drones and 40 missiles targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure, civilian manufacturing companies, and residential areas in different regions across the country.
“All night, Ukraine was under a massive attack by Russia,” Zelenskiy said. “Every such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to terrorize civilians and destroy our infrastructure.”
In the central city of Dnipro, a missile with a cluster munition hit a residential apartment building, Zelenskiy said.
One person was killed, and at least 26 people were injured in Dnipro, regional officials said.
They shared pictures on the Telegram app showing a damaged apartment building with a destroyed roof and smashed windows, people getting medical help, and rescuers working on the site.
Two people were killed in the Chernihiv region in the north and the Khmelnytskyi region in the west of the country, regional officials said.
Russia appears to have changed its tactics in its air attacks on Ukraine and now launches swarms of hundreds of drones in one strike, compared with dozens early in the war.
With air alerts lasting about 11 hours in some regions during the night, the Russian attacks were carried out in two waves, the military analysts said. Ukrainian air defence shot down 552 drones and 31 missiles, the air force said.
Polish and allied aircraft were deployed to ensure the safety of Polish airspace as Russia’s attack also targeted the west of Ukraine near the border with Poland, the Polish military command said.
Zelenskiy reiterated his appeal to Kyiv’s Western allies, calling for more air defence supplies to be sent to Ukraine and stronger sanctions on Russia.
“Ukraine has proven it can defend itself and Europe, but for a reliable shield, we must act together,” he said.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Hugh Lawson)
