'Massive' Russian missile, drone attacks on Kyiv

A wave of deadly Russian missile and drone strikes have struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and surrounding regions, resulting in at least 12 deaths and 20 injuries, including two children, officials report. Among the victims are six railway workers of the state Ukrzaliznytsia company, after a depot in Kyiv came under attack. Russia claims the massive strike utilized high-precision weapons to target military and energy facilities in Ukraine, while also acknowledging one casualty in retaliatory strikes on Russia's western Belgorod region.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a key ally of Russia, urged President Vladimir Putin to cease the war, a plea echoed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a security summit held in Kyrgyzstan. Modi, heavily reliant on discounted oil from Moscow, has repeatedly made such calls since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In Kyiv, eight fatalities were recorded, with fires reported in three city districts. In the nearby town of Boryspil, four lives were lost when a residential building was hit. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that approximately 350 rescue workers were actively engaged in night-time rescue efforts across Kyiv and its surroundings following the latest strikes. He also accused Russia of launching a significant number of jet drones and ballistic missiles.

The ongoing strikes mark the sixth consecutive day of sustained Russian drone and missile attacks on Kyiv, a tactic aimed at draining Ukrainian air defenses and demoralizing civilians. Russia's military previously warned that its forces were preparing for massive strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities. Eight additional Ukrainian regions were hit in the recent attacks, with an Indian national among those killed in Boryspil, as per reports from Ukraine's Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivsky.

The latest attacks follow 38 deaths in a Russian strike on a weapons depot in the Kyiv region on Friday, triggering explosions from shells, mines, and drones. Separately, a drone attack targeting a major Russian Baltic Sea port in Ust-Luga resulted in a fire, according to Leningrad regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko. Ukraine claims that strategic targets like Ust-Luga, which handles millions of tons of petroleum products annually, are justified as they financially support Moscow's war effort.