Four Killed in ‘Calculated’ Russian Attack on Ukraine, Says Zelensky

A Russian attack overnight, primarily targeting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, has killed four people and caused extensive damage to buildings across the city, Ukrainian authorities reported on Friday.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has increasingly focused its attacks on infrastructure, particularly Ukrainian energy facilities, rail systems, and residential areas.

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault as “deliberately calculated” with the aim of inflicting maximum harm on both people and civilian infrastructure.

The attack killed four individuals, Zelensky confirmed, and left dozens more injured, including a pregnant woman.

He further reported that Russia had launched approximately 430 drones and 18 missiles in the attack.

AFP journalists in Kyiv witnessed the use of tracer bullets fired at drones, as well as several anti-missile systems being deployed.

Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, shared on social media that there was significant damage to high-rise buildings across Kyiv, with nearly every district affected.

Ukrainian emergency services worked to rescue dozens of people trapped in fires and rubble throughout the city. The police confirmed that 30 residential buildings across nine districts had been damaged.

Parts of the Desnyansky and Podil districts were temporarily left without heating, Kyiv’s mayor Vitaly Klitschko said. However, he added that the emergency outages were resolved by the morning.

Transport in the city was partially disrupted, with buses and trams delayed due to the attack, according to city administration authorities.

Entrenched War

The attack coincided with increasing pressure from Kyiv’s Western allies on Russia.

On Wednesday, Canada announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s drone and energy production sectors, as well as infrastructure used for launching cyberattacks.

That same day, foreign ministers from the G7 group of nations called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, reaffirming their “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Additionally, the European Commission is reportedly considering the use of Russia’s frozen assets—seized after the invasion—to provide Ukraine with a loan to support its budget and military needs over the next two years.

However, after nearly four years of conflict, both sides remain deeply entrenched. Moscow has rejected ceasefire calls and the efforts by US President Donald Trump to revive a long-stalled peace agreement.

Russian forces have been advancing across eastern Ukraine for months, with ongoing attempts to secure control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Experts warn that Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are putting the country at significant risk of heating outages as the winter months approach.

In response, Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian infrastructure, targeting areas beyond the front lines.

On the Russian side, Moscow’s Defence Ministry reported downing more than 200 Ukrainian drones overnight into Friday, including 66 over Krasnodar Krai and 45 over Saratov in the south.

A fire broke out at the Sheskharis oil refinery, one of the largest in Russia, located in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, though it was eventually brought under control, according to Krasnodar Krai authorities.

Additionally, a civilian vessel in the area was damaged, leaving three of its crew members wounded and hospitalised, the authorities said.