ive people have been killed and tens of thousands left without power in Ukraine following a night of intense Russian missile and drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
Ukraine’s neighbour Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace, while NATO aircraft were also deployed amid heightened regional tensions.
The western city of Lviv was one of the hardest hit. Regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported four deaths and several injuries after missiles struck residential areas. Another person was killed in Zaporizhzhia, where officials said a power plant was hit, leaving more than 73,000 residents without electricity.
In a national address, Zelensky said Russia launched over 50 missiles and around 500 attack drones, targeting multiple regions including Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Lviv, and Zaporizhzhia.
“We need more protection and faster implementation of all defence agreements, especially on air defence, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning,” Zelensky said.
“A unilateral ceasefire in the skies is possible — and it is precisely that which could open the way to real diplomacy.”
The Russian defence ministry described the assault as a “massive strike” on military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine, a claim Kyiv dismissed as justification for attacks on civilian areas.
At 05:10 local time (02:10 GMT), nationwide air raid alerts were in effect, with the Ukrainian Air Force warning of continuing missile and drone waves.
In Lviv, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said parts of the city—just 70 km from Poland’s border—remained without power as air defences intercepted multiple incoming drones and missiles. Public transport was suspended and residents were urged to stay indoors.
In Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported one death and nine injuries, including a 16-year-old girl, after strikes damaged homes and vehicles.
Ukraine’s energy ministry confirmed emergency blackouts in Chernihiv and Sumy, citing severe damage to key infrastructure.
Poland’s operational command stated that its air force and radar systems had been brought to maximum readiness, adding:
“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness.”
The assault follows comments from a U.S. official earlier this week signalling that Washington would support Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory, potentially escalating the conflict’s scope.