Soon on the heels of the successful 3-day and US-backed 'V-Day' ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Russian forces have unleashed several days of drone and missile barrages on Ukrainian cities, especially the capital. It seems the Kremlin is bent on 'payback' for several weeks of effective Ukrainian long-range drone attacks which have badly damaged several Russian oil refineries and energy sites.
BBCreportsThursday that "At least seven people have been killed, including a 12-year-old girl, in Kyiv after Russia launched amassive wave of drone and missile strikeson the Ukrainian capital and other regions, officials have said."
Thedeath toll is expected to rise given bodies are still being pulled from under the rubbleof a destroyed apartment building in Kiev, while local emergency agencies say at least20 people are feared missing. Dozens more were wounded in the attack, with at least 21 initially being transported to the hospital.
Thursdaymarks the third day in a rowUkraine has witnessed deaths from the now unrelenting drone attacks, which followed thelast day of the ceasefire, which expired on Monday.
President Zelensky later announced that the military tallied that Russia sent more than 670 drones and 56 missiles targeting the country overnight. This ranks it as among the largest aerial assaults since the war started in 2022.
Zelensky stated that the strikes hit at least 180 sites across Ukraine, includingover 50 residential buildings, but also claimed an "overall interception rate" of 93%.
He additionally added a48-hour tally: "In total, since midnight yesterday,Russia has used more than 1,560 drones against our cities and communities," hesaidon X.
"These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end," he added, referring to Putin's Saturday speech wherein he hinted a the 'end' of the special military operation ending.
This week's strikes have been particularly devastating against large civilian neighborhoods. According to anAssociated Pressdescription:
As dawn broke on a clear day in Kyiv, a scene of devastation came into focus in the capital’s leafy Darnytsia neighborhood, located between a suburban forest and the Dnieper River.Wisps of smoke rose from the collapsed nine-story apartment block, where emergency workers dug under concrete slabs and took people away on stretchers. The building’s entrance was smashed in the strike, preventing residents from escaping.
Source: ZeroHedge News
