Russia says overnight strikes on Ukraine were response to "terrorist attacks"

Russia’s Ministry of Defence says its forces carried out a large-scale overnight strike on targets across Ukraine, focusing on energy facilities and defence-related sites.

In a statement, the ministry said the attack was launched in response to what it described as “terrorist attacks” by Ukraine on civilian targets inside Russia.

According to the Russian military, the strikes involved long-range, high-precision weapons launched from land, air and sea, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

The ministry said the main targets were elements of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that it claims are used to support the Ukrainian armed forces, along with enterprises belonging to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.

Russia carried out overnight attacks on several Ukrainian regions, with the main focus on Kyiv city and the Kyiv region. More than 60 drones were detected over the capital and surrounding areas, while cruise missiles were also launched. Preliminary reports indicate damage to CHP Plant No. 6. One person was injured in the Kyiv region, and residential buildings, vehicles and industrial sites were damaged in Vyshhorod, Boryspil, Bucha and Obukhiv districts.

Heavy strikes were also reported in the Zaporizhzhia region, where authorities said 485 attacks hit 22 населённых пункта over 24 hours, involving air strikes, drones, artillery and rocket systems. No civilian casualties were reported.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces hit the Pokrovske community in the Synelnykove district with a guided bomb and struck Nikopol with an FPV drone, damaging infrastructure and housing. No casualties were reported.

By Aghakazim Guliyev