At least five civilians were killed and several others injured after Russia unleashed a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine overnight into Sunday, striking civilian infrastructure across nine regions. Ukrainian officials said the barrage included more than 50 ballistic missiles and roughly 500 drones — one of the largest single assaults in recent weeks.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday statement that the overnight strikes once again targeted civilian infrastructure, calling it part of Moscow’s ongoing “aerial terror” campaign. “We need more protection, a rapid implementation of all defense agreements, especially on air defense, to make this aerial terror pointless,” he urged Western allies.
The heaviest casualties were reported in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine often viewed as a refuge from front-line fighting. Regional authorities said four people — including a 15-year-old — were killed when drones and missiles hit residential areas and a business complex described as a civilian facility. At least six more were injured, and parts of the city lost power and public transport for several hours.
In Zaporizhzhia, a drone and guided bomb strike killed one woman and injured nine others, including a teenage girl. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said the attack destroyed homes and knocked out power for more than 73,000 households.
Further east in Sloviansk, a guided bomb hit an apartment building, wounding six people, including a child. Local prosecutors said over two dozen residential buildings, cars, and businesses were damaged.
The Kremlin has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid and rail network as winter approaches — a tactic Kyiv says is meant to “weaponize the cold” and cripple daily life. Ukrainian officials say Russia is deliberately targeting infrastructure vital to heat, electricity, and transport.
Ukraine has continued its own long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities, which have contributed to fuel shortages inside Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow’s latest escalation has renewed calls for Western partners to provide more advanced air defense systems.
As Zelenskyy emphasized, “The Russians again targeted everything that ensures people can live a normal life.”
