Russia launches major ballistic missile attack on Ukrainian cities

What the report says

BBC World News reported that Russia launched a large overnight barrage of ballistic missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens, according to Ukrainian officials. The deaths were reported in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strike on Kyiv as one of the heaviest ballistic attacks since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian officials said Kyiv and its surrounding region were hit by multiple weapons, with air defences intercepting 18 of 41 missiles and 108 drones. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said residential and other buildings were damaged, including a supermarket and dormitory, while emergency services reported a logistics hub near Kyiv was struck. In Kharkiv, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said four men were killed when a postal terminal on the city’s outskirts was attacked.

The BBC also reported that the escalation came as Ukraine continued strikes on Russian infrastructure. Ukraine said its forces hit three Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea and several fuel-related sites in the Stavropol region, which Zelensky described as targets connected to financing Russia’s war. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium said two tankers were damaged and oil loading was halted, while reporting no injuries or spill. Russia had not commented on a reported Russian missile strike on a Turkish-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea that Ukraine’s navy said killed five people.

The latest attacks underline the widening long-range campaign by both sides, with Ukraine targeting Russian energy and logistics infrastructure and Russia intensifying strikes on Ukrainian cities. Zelensky said Ukraine urgently needs more ballistic missile interceptors from European partners, calling air defence a top priority.