Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war overnight, firing more than 660 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine. The strikes killed at least seven people and devastated a residential apartment block in the southeastern city of Dnipro.
In Dnipro, four bodies were recovered after a missile strike caused a large section of an apartment building to collapse. Disaster struck a second time when a daytime "double-tap" attack hit the same site while rescuers were clearing rubble, killing one person and wounding seven others. In total, over 30 people were injured in the city.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia deployed 619 drones and 47 missiles in the barrage. While Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 580 drones and 30 missiles, the sheer volume of the attack overwhelmed systems in several regions.
Dnipro: Residents reported thick black smoke and plummeting air quality following strikes on residential and critical infrastructure.
Chernihiv: In the north, two people were killed and seven wounded in separate drone and missile hits.
Romania: Drone fragments damaged property in the NATO member state bordering Ukraine, though no casualties were reported.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking from Azerbaijan, urged international partners to provide immediate air defense reinforcements. "Every strike must remind our partners that the situation needs firm action," he stated.
Diplomatic Push in Baku
While the attacks unfolded, President Zelenskiy was in Azerbaijan to sign defense and energy cooperation agreements. Kyiv is increasingly sharing its low-cost drone-downing expertise with nations concerned about regional security.
The visit comes amid a broader shift in global tensions following recent conflicts in the Middle East. Kyiv is actively building security alliances with nations wary of Iranian-made drone and missile technologies, which Russia continues to use in its strikes against Ukrainian cities.
Moscow’s defense ministry claimed it targeted military-industrial and energy sites but did not comment on the destruction of the civilian apartment block in Dnipro.
