26.05.2025 07:10
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Russia launches largest airstrike on Ukraine since war began, killing at least 12 people
At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in overnight attacks by Russian drones and missiles across Ukraine, local authorities said.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 367 missiles and drones of various types on Saturday, starting at 8:40 p.m. local time (5:40 p.m. GMT).
According to the Ukrainian military, 45 cruise missiles were shot down and 266 drones were neutralized. The attack was recorded as the largest airstrike on Ukrainian cities since the start of the war.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said that as of 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, 12 people had been killed and more than 60 injured in the mass attacks.
According to the Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine (ESCU), three children, aged 8, 12 and 17, died in the city of Zhytomyr, and a 77-year-old man died in Nikolaev.
"Each such sabotage attack is a sufficient basis for new sanctions against Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel. "Russia is prolonging this war and continues to kill people every day. The war does not stop even when the world goes on holiday. We should not turn a blind eye to this situation. The silence of America and others only encourages Putin."
Zelensky once again called on Western countries to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. "The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy," he wrote. "The war can be stopped, but only with the necessary pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think about ending the war, not about launching missiles."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga wrote on social media: "While the whole world is calling for an end to the killings, Putin orders more strikes, attacks, and the deaths of children. This once again demonstrates the need for a complete, unconditional, and long-term ceasefire in the movement towards peace. The world must put pressure on Russia, convince it to do so, and force it to immediately stop the killings."
Meanwhile, according to a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine attacked eight Russian regions with drones.
From 00:00 to 07:00 Moscow time, 110 Ukrainian drones were shot down or intercepted, 13 of them near Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 12 drones heading towards the capital were shot down en route. He added that emergency services had been dispatched to assess the damage caused by the drone fragments.
In the Tula region, south of Moscow, fragments of a drone fell into a residential courtyard, shattering windows in several homes, Governor Dmitry Milyaev said. There were no injuries, he said.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 367 missiles and drones of various types on Saturday, starting at 8:40 p.m. local time (5:40 p.m. GMT).
According to the Ukrainian military, 45 cruise missiles were shot down and 266 drones were neutralized. The attack was recorded as the largest airstrike on Ukrainian cities since the start of the war.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said that as of 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, 12 people had been killed and more than 60 injured in the mass attacks.
According to the Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine (ESCU), three children, aged 8, 12 and 17, died in the city of Zhytomyr, and a 77-year-old man died in Nikolaev.
"Each such sabotage attack is a sufficient basis for new sanctions against Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel. "Russia is prolonging this war and continues to kill people every day. The war does not stop even when the world goes on holiday. We should not turn a blind eye to this situation. The silence of America and others only encourages Putin."
Zelensky once again called on Western countries to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. "The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy," he wrote. "The war can be stopped, but only with the necessary pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think about ending the war, not about launching missiles."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga wrote on social media: "While the whole world is calling for an end to the killings, Putin orders more strikes, attacks, and the deaths of children. This once again demonstrates the need for a complete, unconditional, and long-term ceasefire in the movement towards peace. The world must put pressure on Russia, convince it to do so, and force it to immediately stop the killings."
Meanwhile, according to a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine attacked eight Russian regions with drones.
From 00:00 to 07:00 Moscow time, 110 Ukrainian drones were shot down or intercepted, 13 of them near Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 12 drones heading towards the capital were shot down en route. He added that emergency services had been dispatched to assess the damage caused by the drone fragments.
In the Tula region, south of Moscow, fragments of a drone fell into a residential courtyard, shattering windows in several homes, Governor Dmitry Milyaev said. There were no injuries, he said.