Four dead and dozens injured in massive Russian strikes on Ukraine

At least four people have been confirmed dead, and dozens more have been injured following a massive overnight attack launched by Russia against Ukraine. The casualties occurred in multiple cities, including Dnipro, Kyiv, and Kharkiv. In Dnipro, the four victims included a 73-year-old woman. Local officials reported these figures in the early hours of Tuesday, noting that the sheer number of injuries indicated the severity of the strikes across these major urban centers.

Thousands of residents in Kyiv sought immediate shelter in basements and designated safe zones as large plumes of smoke rose from the center of the city. Air raid warnings were active across most of Ukraine during the incident. Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kyiv, issued a strict directive urging citizens to remain in shelters. Tymur Tkachenko, who heads Kyiv’s City Military Administration, provided further detail on the nature of the assault. He stated that the enemy was striking with ballistic missiles, a type of weapon capable of traveling long distances at high speeds with little warning.

Mayor Klitschko reported that two high-rise apartment buildings had been directly hit by the explosions. There are currently serious fears that many people are trapped under the resulting rubble. As the Russian attacks persisted through the early morning darkness, residents described hearing the distinct buzz of drones between more than a dozen loud explosions. These strikes made impact in various parts of the capital, causing widespread damage.

In addition to the direct hits on residential areas, blackouts and fires were reported across Kyiv and surrounding regions. The full extent of the infrastructure damage remains unclear as emergency crews work to assess the situation. An industrial facility in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia was also attacked during the same period, indicating that the strikes were not limited to the capital.

These attacks follow explicit warnings issued by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the preceding Monday. Zelenskyy had reiterated concerns about a possible massive Russian strike and urged all residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts. In his nightly video address, he emphasized the credibility of the intelligence warnings. "Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect," Zelenskyy said. "A massive strike is possible; they have prepared one."

The context for this escalation involves tensions that have been building over the past week. Last week, Russia announced its intention to target military and decision-making centers in Kyiv. The Russian government also advised foreigners to leave the city for their own safety. This announcement was framed as a response to a drone strike that occurred last month. That earlier attack targeted a dormitory in the Luhansk region, an area currently held by Russian forces. The drone strike on the dormitory killed 21 people.