Ukrainian officials said Friday that Russian forces carried out massive aerial attacks on multiple cities, killing at least 30 people.
Ukraine’s military described the Russian action as a “massive aerial attack on the civilian infrastructure.”
In the early hours of the morning, a barrage of 158 airborne attacks struck Ukraine, marking one of the most extensive aerial offensives witnessed in recent times.
The deadly attack comprised a mix of missile varieties and strike UAVs, among which 27 “Shahed” drones and 87 cruise missiles were successfully neutralized, according to official reports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the relentless strikes that targeted key Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and several others.
Ukraine’s president said buildings hit included a “maternity ward, educational facilities, a shopping mall, multi-story residential buildings” and others.
In response, Zelensky highlighted the intensified efforts of all emergency services, ensuring vital aid and support to affected civilians amidst the chaos.
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, the Commander of the Air Forces, emphasized this unprecedented aerial attack, marking it as the most concentrated and severe to date.
The attack commenced around 3 AM when Russian forces deployed Tu-95MS bombers, totaling 18 aircraft that launched missiles at approximately 6 AM, releasing no less than 90 airborne-based cruise missiles (Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55).
Simultaneously, from the Kursk region, Tu-22M3 bombers released 8 long-range cruise missiles (Kh-22/Kh-32) targeting northern and central regions.
Harsh attacks on Kharkiv ensued through S-300 guided missiles, with at least 14 missiles launched, traversing ballistic trajectories from Crimea, Kursk, and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation (RF).
At 6:30 AM, five MiG-31K aircraft were observed taking off from the Astrakhan region, initiating launches of 5 aeroballistic missiles (Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal”).
Additionally, Su-35 tactical aircraft launched 4 anti-radiation missiles (Kh-31P) and one Kh-59 missile.
At least 30 people were killed and more than 160 injured in Russia’s largest attack on Ukraine in months on Friday, said officials.
