Russia pounds nine Ukrainian cities in massive overnight barrage

Russia has carried out what it described as a "massive" overnight strike on targets in nine Ukrainian cities, an onslaught that began after nightfall on Wednesday and stretched into Thursday morning, with explosions echoing across the capital, Kyiv.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the strikes were aimed at military-related infrastructure, including industrial facilities, oil refineries, logistics hubs, and port installations. However, Ukrainian officials reported damage to civilian areas, including apartment blocks. A 78-year-old woman was killed in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, and at least nine people were reported wounded elsewhere.

In Kyiv, four districts were hit during the night, damaging residential buildings, a school, and a medical facility, though no casualties were reported there. The central Poltava region saw strikes on industrial and energy infrastructure, according to regional head Vitalii Diakivnych. The southern Odesa region, a key hub for grain exports, came under attack for more than seven hours, damaging a 16-story residential building, two educational facilities, and a grain elevator, said Oleh Kiper, head of the regional military administration.

Ukraine's air force said it shot down or suppressed seven Russian ballistic missiles, though it did not specify how. The country is reportedly short of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles, which are needed to counter such projectiles. Moscow's use of fast-flying jet-powered drones has added to the challenge.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that Russia continues to invest in missiles and expand its war, underscoring the need for more countermeasures. He noted recent European promises of additional air defense support and called for these to be supplemented with ballistic missile defense packages purchased from the United States.

Meanwhile, Moldova's Defense Ministry said five drones breached its airspace overnight, without specifying who fired them. The incident adds to regional jitters as Russia's neighbors in Eastern Europe watch the conflict warily.

Ukraine has also been launching long-range drone attacks of its own. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 267 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, annexed Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea. Ukrainian drones have recently targeted logistics facilities belonging to Ozon, Russia's second-largest e-commerce company, after previously striking warehouses of the largest retailer, Wildberries. Ozon said its facilities in Orenburg and Ufa were attacked but did not catch fire.