Key facts
- Russia conducted a mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least 23 people.
- Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in Kyiv and surrounding areas.
- Ukraine's air defense system is facing a shortage of missiles to counter Russian ballistic attacks.
- Ukraine reportedly conducted drone strikes on Russian oil refineries in Omsk and Yaroslavl.
- Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the Russian aerial assault.
Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens more, including children. This attack occurred just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of another major assault on the capital. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and the nearby town of Vyshneve sustained significant damage.
Ukraine's Air Force reported intercepting a large number of cruise missiles and drones, but struggled against ballistic and Zircon missiles. Military experts and the Defense Minister highlighted Ukraine's critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which Russia is reportedly exploiting by increasing its use of ballistic missiles against residential areas. Ukraine is seeking to procure more Patriot missiles and has asked NATO countries to lend them from their stocks.
In parallel, Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The Omsk oil refinery, Russia's largest, was hit and caught fire, as was the Yaroslavl oil refinery. An oil terminal in Vysotsk and a refinery in Kaluga Oblast were also targeted. These strikes come as Ukraine faces mounting shortages of fuel supplies to occupied Crimea.
In response to the aerial attacks, Poland's Air Force scrambled fighter jets to protect its airspace. The attacks follow a similarly deadly Russian assault on Kyiv just four days prior.