Russia fires 73 missiles, 656 drones, killing 22
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- Russia launched 73 missiles and 656 drones across Ukraine overnight, targeting Kyiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukrainian officials reported at least 22 civilian deaths—including 16 in Dnipro and six in Kyiv—and 138 injuries from the strike.
- Ukrainian air defenses destroyed or suppressed 40 missiles and 602 drones, limiting the total number of successful attacks.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged additional U.S. and European aid, calling the barrage an “explicit statement by Russia” that missile strikes will continue without protection.
- Mayor Borys Filatov of Dnipro declared a day of mourning and noted a second drone hit a residential building at 2:40 p.m. on the same day.
- Civilians such as Iryna Salikova and Olena Dniprovska recounted surviving the explosions by sheltering in bathtubs and seeing their apartments reduced to rubble.
Why it matters: The attack underscores Ukraine's vulnerability to ballistic missiles due to limited air‑defense assets, pressuring Western allies to accelerate deliveries while exposing Russian forces to heightened domestic scrutiny over the war's human cost. The high civilian toll also fuels international condemnation and may affect Russia's strategic calculations.
