Russia says it launched 'massive' strike on Ukrainian cities

Key Points:

• Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on multiple Ukrainian cities overnight, targeting military-related facilities but also causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, including in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Poltava, and Odesa regions.
• Ukraine faces a critical shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles needed to counter Russia’s ballistic missile and drone strikes, with President Zelenskyy urging European countries to provide additional ballistic missile defense systems.
• Ukrainian forces continue retaliatory strikes inside Russia, targeting command posts near Donetsk and key logistics hubs of major Russian e-commerce companies such as Wildberries and Ozon, amid ongoing intense fighting in eastern Ukraine.
• Moldova reported multiple drone incursions into its airspace overnight, raising regional security concerns as Russia’s war in Ukraine fuels fears of broader conflict in Eastern Europe.
• Despite the attacks, Ukrainian air defenses claimed to have shot down or suppressed several Russian ballistic missiles, and no casualties were reported from strikes in Kyiv, though significant damage was inflicted on residential buildings, schools, and critical infrastructure.