Johnson Progress

A devastating Russian aerial attack has struck Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least three people and injuring over 30 others.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the assault targeted multiple regions across the country, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

President Zelensky described the attack as a “deliberate strategy” to “intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure”.

He reported that residential areas and civilian facilities were hit, with a direct missile strike on a high-rise residential building in Dnipro, which was hit by a missile with cluster munitions.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, while Russia’s defense ministry claimed its “massive strike” used “precision weapons” and targeted military-industrial facilities.

The BBC verified footage showing a missile in flight and impact, as well as still images of a badly damaged building in Dnipro.

In response to the attack, Ukraine’s military reported that its drones struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region and damaged another oil refinery in the neighboring Saratov region. Russian Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed that four people were killed and one injured in the Samara region drone attack.

The latest Russian aerial attack comes amid escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

Estonia recently requested urgent consultations with other NATO members after Russian jets allegedly violated its airspace.

Additionally, Poland and Romania, both NATO members, reported that Russian drones breached their airspace earlier this month.

President Zelensky is set to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

The meeting comes after Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where no agreement was reached on ending the conflict.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing since 2014, with a full-scale invasion launched by Putin in 2022.

The war has resulted in significant human suffering, displacement, and infrastructure damage.

Ukraine continues to target Russian oil and industrial facilities, while Moscow escalates its aerial assaults on Ukrainian territory.