Russia launches massive Ukraine strikes

The overnight barrage targeted residential buildings and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict.

Ukrainian officials reported that their air defenses were strained by the sheer volume of the attack, which included both ballistic and cruise missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, currently on a tour of Europe, used the tragedy to renew his pleas for advanced missile interceptors and more robust international sanctions against Moscow.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strikes were in retaliation for recent Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory.