Kyiv: At least six people were killed and 36 others injured overnight on Wednesday in a massive missile and drone attack across Ukraine, authorities said. The strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten, power plants, and residential areas, in one of the largest assaults in recent weeks.
According to Ukrainian officials, the capital city Kyiv and the surrounding Kyiv Oblast were among the worst affected regions. In Kyiv, two people were killed and 21 others injured, while four deaths were reported in the Brovarsky district of Kyiv Oblast.
Attacks across multiple regions
The bombardment extended to several parts of the country, including Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Governor Ivan Fedorov said at least 15 civilians were injured. In Odesa Oblast, DTEK — Ukraine’s largest private energy company — reported “significant damage” to power infrastructure, leading to emergency power outages in Odesa, Kyiv, and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts.
Russian ballistic missiles also struck Kharkiv, injuring at least six people and destroying multiple structures, according to local reports. The attacks targeted critical facilities such as energy plants and civilian neighbourhoods, raising fresh concerns over the safety of Ukraine’s power grid as winter approaches.
Kindergarten among targets
A local NGO reported that three drones hit a kindergarten at approximately 11:00 am (local time) on Wednesday. Fortunately, all 48 children had been evacuated to an underground shelter after air raid sirens sounded. One passerby was killed and nine others were injured in the vicinity, but no children were harmed, according to a report by The New York Times.
The renewed wave of attacks underscores the vulnerability of civilian areas and the continuing toll of the war on non-combatants. Rescue operations continued through the night as emergency services worked to restore electricity and provide medical aid to the injured.
Zelenskyy criticises lack of global pressure on Kremlin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, saying that the Russian bombardment demonstrated Moscow’s unwillingness to end the war. “The Kremlin clearly doesn’t feel enough pressure to stop dragging out the war,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
He reiterated his call for stronger international support, especially in the form of air defence systems, to counter the escalating drone and missile threats targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
Russia claims new territorial gains
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday that its forces had captured two additional villages — Ivanivka, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and Pavlivka in Zaporizhzhia — both within territories Moscow claims as part of Russia.
Russian media outlets reported early Thursday that paratroopers and other troops had crossed the Dnipro River and taken control of Karantynnyi Island, near Kherson. The island is located close to a region that Russian forces occupied in the early stages of the February 2022 invasion but later lost to Ukrainian troops.
In a counterstatement, Ukraine’s 132nd Separate Battalion of Airborne Forces announced that it had recaptured the village of Kucheriv Yar near Dobropillia in Donetsk, signalling intense and ongoing clashes along multiple fronts.
Trump suggests Ukraine may need to cede territory
Amid renewed fighting, former US President Donald Trump commented on the conflict during an interview with Fox News, suggesting that Ukraine might have to give up some territory to achieve peace.
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin could end the war without gaining “significant property from Ukraine,” Trump replied, “Well, he’s going to take something. They fought and he has a lot of property. He’s won certain property.”
He further added, “We’re the only nation that goes in, wins a war and then leaves.”
Trump, who recently expressed conditional support for Ukraine, declined to confirm whether he would approve sending Tomahawk missiles that Kyiv has requested. “I will think about it,” he said.
The remarks drew mixed reactions globally, with critics warning that any compromise on Ukraine’s territorial integrity could embolden Russia further.
Continuing escalation
The latest strikes highlight the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as the war drags into its third year. With infrastructure severely damaged and energy shortages mounting, Ukrainian authorities are appealing for increased aid and defence assistance from international partners.
As rescue operations continue, the full extent of the destruction from Wednesday’s coordinated assault is still being assessed.