LONDON — At least 16 people were killed and roughly 100 wounded after Russia carried out a major drone and missile assault from Wednesday into Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched nearly 700 drones, 19 ballistic missiles and additional cruise missiles; Ukraine intercepted about 636 drones and some missiles, he added, but not all were destroyed.
Authorities reported fatalities in Odesa, Kyiv and Dnipro, including a 12-year-old boy, and Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the victims’ families. While Kyiv was the main target for most missiles, damage and deaths were recorded in several regions as weapons that broke through air defenses struck and damaged residential buildings.
Zelenskyy said the attack underscores why Russia should not receive any relaxation of international policy or a lifting of sanctions and called for vigorous protection of civilians and continued pressure to secure peace.
Russian officials said Ukraine also launched a drone barrage against Russian territory and claimed to have shot down more than 200 drones. Local Russian authorities reported that at least one Ukrainian drone hit a port on the Black Sea coast and that other coastal towns were struck, according to their statements.