SRINAGAR: Russia carried out one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine overnight, launching nearly 500 drones and around 40 missiles and striking energy and civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
At least one person was killed and 27 others injured after missiles and drones struck Kyiv in the early hours. Explosions were heard across the capital for several hours as the attack continued into daylight, Al Jazeera reported.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted homes, power facilities and civilian areas, and urged the United States and Europe to increase pressure on Moscow. He said turning the Christmas and New Year period into a time of destruction required a “truly strong” response from Ukraine’s partners.
The Russian Defence Ministry as per RT confirmed the overnight assault, describing it as a “massive strike” using long-range precision-guided weapons from land, air and sea, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones. It said the targets were energy infrastructure and facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, and claimed the operation was in response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian sites in Russia.
The attack came ahead of planned diplomatic engagements by Zelenskyy, including meetings with Western leaders, as Ukraine continues to seek security guarantees and discussions on territorial issues in the nearly four-year-old war with Russia.
