Russia bombarded cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones in an onslaught that began after nightfall Wednesday and continued into daylight hours Thursday, when explosions echoed around the capital Kyiv. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Ukraine is desperately short of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles that can counter Russia's ballistic missiles, and Moscow's fast-flying jet-powered drones have brought another challenge in the fifth year since the Russian army's invasion.
Ukrainian officials say Russia builds up missile stocks and launches major attacks every few days, hoping to exhaust Ukrainian defenses through the sheer weight of numbers. In response, Ukraine has hit high-profile targets on Russian soil as the countries inflict mutual destruction.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces carried out a "massive" overnight strike on targets in nine Ukrainian cities. It described the targets as military-related, including industrial facilities, oil refineries, logistics hubs and port infrastructure.
Civilian areas including apartment blocks suffered damage. The barrage killed a 78-year-old woman in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, with at least nine people reported wounded elsewhere, Ukrainian officials said.
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Russia continues to invest in missiles and in expanding its war, and that means more countermeasures are needed.