Indian National Among 12 Killed In Fresh Russian Missile And Drone strikes Across Ukraine
Kyiv: An Indian national was among 12 people killed in a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
The strikes targeted several Ukrainian cities and regions, damaging residential buildings, power facilities and other civilian infrastructure. Russian forces used ballistic missiles and a “significant number” of jet-powered drones in the attacks, according to the Ukrainian president.
Odesa Region Faces Power Outages
Russian guided aerial bomb and drone attacks have continued against Odesa city and the surrounding region since Monday evening, Zelenskyy said in a post on social media.
The strikes left thousands of families without electricity and caused damage to civilian and export-related infrastructure. A border crossing with Romania was also hit, with Zelenskyy describing the damage to the crossing and export facilities as “deliberate”.
The attacks were reported across the Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Dnipro regions. Dozens of people were injured, the president said.
“Overall, 12 people were killed, among them an Indian citizen,” Zelenskyy said. “My condolences to everyone who has lost family and loved ones,” he added.
Kyiv, Boryspil Among Worst Hit
Seven people were killed after a Russian strike hit a railway depot in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said. The capital and the surrounding region saw extensive rescue and recovery operations, involving nearly 350 emergency personnel.
In Boryspil, a five-storey residential building was damaged and 50 residents were evacuated. Four people were killed and 13 others injured in the city, according to the Ukrainian president.
“A significant number of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles were used in the attack,” Zelenskyy said, adding that residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged.
The latest strikes added to the continuing disruption caused by attacks on Ukraine’s energy and transport networks. Odesa and the surrounding region remained under attack from Russian drones and guided aerial bombs, he said.
Zelenskyy Seeks More Air Defence
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately directing its attacks at civilians and said the scale of casualties was directly linked to Ukraine’s ability to intercept incoming missiles and drones, as reported by India Today.
“Russia always plans its strikes specifically to cause as much destruction to people’s lives as possible, and it succeeds only when air defence capabilities are insufficient. The number of victims of Russian terror directly hinges on every new package of assistance,” Zelenskyy said.
He appealed for additional air-defence support from Ukraine’s allies and thanked countries assisting Kyiv through the Priority Ukraine Requirements List and bilateral supply arrangements.