Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of attempting to “cripple” the country’s energy grid following a large-scale bombardment involving nearly 500 drones and dozens of missiles.
The strikes, which targeted Kyiv and several other regions, caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including apartment blocks and a retirement home.
The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed the operation used “long-range precision weapons” to strike energy facilities supporting the Ukrainian military. However, Ukrainian officials reported that the majority of the impact was felt by civilians.
‘The missiles are speaking’
Writing on Telegram, President Zelensky said the sheer scale of the attack—which included approximately 40 missiles—demonstrated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no interest in peace.
“Russian representatives are having long conversations, but in reality, the ‘Daggers’ [missiles] and ‘Shaheds’ [drones] are speaking for them,” Mr Zelensky said. He once again urged Western allies in the US and Europe to take “really strong steps” to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses.
Impact on the capital
In Kyiv, the scale of the destruction was visible in the Darnytskyi district, where emergency services were forced to evacuate 68 people from a retirement home.
One high-rise apartment building hit during the strikes was the home of BBC journalist Anastasiya Gribanova. She was in the building’s elevator at the time of the impact and was unharmed, though several floors of the block were left in flames.
Regional tensions rise
The intensity of the bombardment triggered a high-alert response in neighboring Poland. The Polish military scrambled fighter jets and activated ground-based air defense systems as missiles approached its border.
While Poland later confirmed that its airspace had not been violated, the incident underscored the growing risk of the conflict spilling over into NATO territory.
Ukrainian drone response
The wave of Russian strikes comes as Moscow reported its own surge in cross-border attacks.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday that its forces had intercepted and destroyed nearly 200 Ukrainian drones over various Russian regions, including eight that were reportedly headed toward Moscow.
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