5 Killed, 20 Injured In Russian Attack On Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

Overnight attacks across Ukraine claimed at least nine lives and injured dozens, as Russia escalated its ballistic missile campaign. Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and the Dnipropetrovsk regions bore the brunt of the assault, which involved ballistic missiles, guided aerial bombs, drones, and artillery. Russian forces claimed to have targeted military-industrial facilities and transport hubs in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

In Zaporizhzhia, a regional military administration head reported that Russian forces launched a "massive" attack, killing six and wounding 19. The strikes caused damage to residential buildings, infrastructure, and triggered fires, leading to power outages. In Dnipropetrovsk, three deaths and five injuries were reported after Russian drones and artillery hit five districts.

Kyiv was targeted shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko urging residents to take shelter amid missile alerts. President Zelensky reported that an infectious diseases hospital and a children's hospital in Kyiv were struck, though he noted that staff and children were safe in shelters. Kyiv has accused Russia of receiving new missiles from North Korea, claiming that growing military cooperation between the two nations benefits Russia's war effort while providing North Korea with battlefield experience.

Russia has ramped up its use of ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities, putting pressure on Ukraine's limited stocks of advanced air-defense systems. Ukraine has called for more Patriot air-defense batteries and PAC-3 interceptor missiles from its Western allies, as the shortage of interceptors has worsened due to global competition for these systems.

Despite the growing threat, Ukraine has also expanded its own long-range strikes against deep targets in Russian territory.