Russian drones and missiles struck Ukraine, leaving at least 15 people dead and causing extensive damage to residential buildings and energy infrastructure across the country on Saturday.
Ukraine’s Emergency Services reported that in the central city of Poltava, a Russian missile hit a residential building, killing 11 and injuring 16 others, including four children.
Rescue teams managed to save 22 people from the debris, working well into the night. Emergency responders carried the bodies of the deceased out on stretchers.
In a heartbreaking scene, a retired military veteran stood by the wreckage, convinced his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter had perished on the first floor. He waited all day, checking with rescuers as they carried out the dead.
In Kharkiv, located in Ukraine’s northeast, a drone attack resulted in one fatality and left four people injured.
Additionally, three police officers lost their lives while patrolling a village in the northeastern Sumy region.
The two countries also exchanged accusations over an attack on a dormitory in a Ukrainian-controlled area of Russia’s Kursk region, with both sides blaming each other for the strike.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that four people were killed in the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed outrage over the escalating violence, commenting, “Each such terrorist attack proves that we need more support in defending ourselves against Russian terror. Every air defence system, every anti-missile weapon, saves lives,” via his Telegram app.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian forces launched 123 drones and over 40 missiles. Their air defence units successfully intercepted 56 drones, while another 61 were redirected.
