Ukraine’s Air Force reported a substantial overnight assault by Russia, deploying over 100 drones and missiles targeting at least 15 locations throughout the country. Among the munitions used in this barrage were advanced Iskander ballistic missiles.
While Ukrainian air defense systems managed to intercept or jam 94 of the drones, officials confirmed that 27 drones successfully hit their intended targets. Additionally, the ballistic missiles also struck specific locations, although details regarding these hits were not disclosed.
Tragically, at least two individuals lost their lives, and 15 others sustained injuries as a result of these attacks over the past 24 hours. In the eastern Donbas region, specifically Donetsk, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported that one civilian was killed, with two others injured during the overnight strikes. This area continues to be a significant frontline in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its fourth year.
Casualties and infrastructure damage across regions
In Dnipropetrovsk, local officials confirmed that three individuals were injured due to the overnight strikes, which particularly targeted residential buildings and critical energy infrastructure. Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha emphasized that these attacks came on the heels of an earlier incident where a 43-year-old man was killed, and he raised concerns about power and gas outages affecting many residents as temperatures are expected to plummet significantly.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, indicated that approximately 100,000 families are currently facing power and gas shortages due to the recent strikes in the region, coinciding with forecasts predicting temperatures to drop to 10 degrees Celsius below zero on Sunday.
The southern Zaporizhzhia region also experienced significant damage from overnight assaults, with Governor Ivan Fedorov reporting that at least three people were injured and are currently receiving medical care. Zaporizhzhia has been a critical target for Russian attacks, suffering over 740 strikes on populated areas in a single day last week.
Impact on civilian life and ongoing conflict
In Kharkiv, a 56-year-old woman sustained minor injuries from the strikes, which targeted nearly a dozen multi-storey residential buildings, along with civilian infrastructure and local businesses. Governor Oleh Syniehubov described the damage as extensive.
Furthermore, in Kherson, six individuals were injured due to Russian shelling that damaged residential structures, a parking lot, and a regional gas pipeline, as reported by Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
In a turn of events, Ukrainian forces also targeted the western Russian Belgorod region early Saturday, leading to significant disruptions. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced that 600,000 residents were left without power, water, and gas following the missile strike, and repair efforts are underway to restore services to these communities.
While the strike on Belgorod resulted in major service outages, Ukrainian officials opted not to comment on the recent attacks. This region, adjacent to Ukraine’s Kharkiv, has frequently been subjected to Ukrainian military actions since the onset of the conflict in February 2022.
“The attacks targeted residential buildings and energy infrastructure.”