A Russian aircraft bombardment exceeding 12 hours has resulted in a minimum of four fatalities and injured at least 70 individuals in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that all fatalities happened in the capital, Kyiv, where several missiles were targeted, and among the deceased was a 12-year-old girl.
The assault, comprising roughly 600 drones and several hundred missiles targeting seven areas of Ukraine, is among the most intense in recent months.
Zelensky cautioned that Ukraine will respond and stated that the “vile” assault demonstrated Moscow’s intent to persist in combat and violence. Russia said it targeted military installations and industrial infrastructure aiding Ukraine’s armed forces.
Aerial bombardments for Ukrainians may be both arbitrary and habitual.
Such events often transpire late on Saturday evenings; in this instance, the initial sirens were detected about 22:00 GMT.
The auditory presence of anti-aircraft fire was sometimes interrupted by explosions, likely resulting from either an intercepted drone or one striking its objective.
In Kyiv, the national air alert application advised individuals to seek refuge in shelters and remain there. They were accompanied by alerts indicating an elevated aerial threat as hundreds of drones descended upon the city.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Igor Klymenko stated that a minimum of 100 civilian locations have sustained damage nationwide due to the assault, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.
Emergency services reported that an assault on Kyiv’s Institute of Cardiology resulted in the deaths of a nurse and a patient.
Zelensky stated that a substantial bakery, an automotive rubber plant, along with residential structures and civilian infrastructure, were also attacked.
He stated that the areas of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa were all affected.
Governor Ivan Fedorov of Zaporizhzhia said that 34 individuals sustained injuries in the region, including three children: two boys aged 11 and 12, and a nine-year-old girl.
One youngster was injured in an explosion, while the other experienced carbon monoxide poisoning, he stated. Both individuals are in critical condition.
The regional governor of Sumy said that a 59-year-old man perished in strikes over the last 24 hours.
Zelensky said that Ukraine “will retaliate” to “compel diplomacy” from Russia and expressed his expectation for a “robust response” from Europe and the United States.
“This nefarious assault occurred at the conclusion of the UN General Assembly week, thereby revealing Russia’s true stance,” he stated.
Zelensky reaffirmed his endorsement of US President Donald Trump’s warning of intensified penalties on Russia, along with his appeal for European allies to reduce their imports of Russian oil and gas.
Trump has suddenly altered his stance on the conflict, asserting for the first time last week that he believes Ukraine may reclaim territory lost to Moscow as the Russian economy falters under the pressures of an extended war.
The US president has thus far refrained from implementing more sanctions on Russia, although he has exhibited growing frustration with the Kremlin’s reluctance to initiate peace negotiations.
Zelensky stated on Saturday that Russia will persist in its assault against Ukraine, which is why it was evaluating European air defences through recent incursions into many NATO member states.
Simultaneously, planes were deployed in neighbouring Poland early on Sunday as Russia targeted western Ukraine, according to the nation’s armed forces.
The Polish military characterised the moves, which have been customary since Polish and NATO planes intercepted three Russian drones in Poland’s airspace on 10 September, as prophylactic measures.
Denmark’s Defence Ministry stated on Sunday that it had detected drones above military installations for a second consecutive night.
NATO has announced that it will augment its operations in the Baltic Sea in response, which includes heightened monitoring and the deployment of at least one air defence frigate in the region.
The narrative chronicles a sequence of events involving drones that emerged above Danish airports, resulting in disturbances to aviation traffic. Danish authorities stated they have no proof indicating Russian involvement in what they characterised as a coordinated assault, while Moscow refuted any role.
Poland, Estonia, and Romania have accused Russia of infringing upon their airspace, leading to a renewed NATO effort to strengthen the alliance’s eastern border.
Trump has suggested that NATO countries should intercept Russian aircraft within their airspace.
During an address at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserted that his nation does not want to assault EU or NATO member nations. However, he cautioned of a “decisive response” to any “aggression” aimed at Moscow.
