New toll: 19 people killed in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities

At least 19 civilians, including four children, were killed and around 60 people were injured in last night’s Russian attacks with missiles and drones on Kyiv and about a dozen other Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian officials reported today in a new toll of the attacks.

The attacks followed yesterday’s warning by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the X network that Russia was preparing for a new massive assault on his country.

Although Ukraine expected the attack, it was unable to fully defend itself, writes AP.

The number of dead and the damage show the difficulties Ukraine faces in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles and drones with which Moscow is increasing its attacks. Without ammunition for the American-made Patriot air defense system, Ukraine cannot stop Russian ballistic missiles. It is hastily working on developing a new generation of interceptors fast enough to stop Moscow’s jet-powered drones, writes AP.

In last night’s Russian strike, a block of residential buildings was destroyed in Pryluky, in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, where 13 people, including four children, were killed and about 50 were injured, said Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi.

There are fatalities in three more Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelensky said via social media.

“The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

Ukraine is looking worldwide for available Patriot missiles, which are scarce due to the war in Iran.

“Russian ballistic missiles remain the biggest challenge. For us, air defense packages are now of vital necessity,” Zelensky said.

In Kremenchuk, in the Poltava region, two people were killed and seven were injured, said the head of the regional military administration, Vitaliy Diakivnych.

“That is exactly what the enemy is counting on. That we are afraid to fall asleep, to let our children out of sight, to plan anything, so that everyone thinks that next time it could be their location that is hit,” he said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its army carried out a large attack last night on industrial facilities, especially those where Flamingo missiles and drones are produced and stored, across Ukraine.

The Russian ministry stated that it targeted facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in the regions of Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Kharkiv. The ministry added that the port and ship repair facilities in the Odesa region were also hit, as well as cargo ships of the Ukrainian army.

Ukraine retaliated against Russia by launching drones and long-range missiles at refineries and storage facilities.

Zelensky announced today that Ukraine targeted two oil facilities and a training ground in the Russian regions of Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan. Russia has not yet commented on these statements.