Scores are killed as Russia launches largest airstrike on Ukraine
- 29 December, 07:33
Over 30 people were killed in a large-scale Russian air strike on residential buildings across Ukrainian cities on Friday. Some 160 more people were injured in these attacks in Kyiv, Kharkov, Lviv and other cities in the west and south of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia launched approximately 110 missiles in the attack that became the biggest air strike in the war between the two countries.
In a statement published on social media following the attack, Zelenskiy revealed that Russia used nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal.
“A maternity ward, educational facilities, a shopping mall, multistorey residential buildings and private homes, a commercial storage and a parking lot were hit,” he said.
“We will surely respond to terrorist strikes. And we will continue to fight for the security of our entire country, every city and every citizen. Russian terror must and will lose.”
Ukrainian military facilities were also struck during the attacks.
Ukraine’s air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said the scale of the strike was unprecedented. According to the Ukrainian military, Russia launched hypersonic, cruise and ballistic missiles, with 114 of 158 missiles and drones being shot down.
One Russian missile even briefly intruded in Poland’s airspace, according to Poland’s defence chief Wieslaw Kukula. Poland said the object left the country’s territory three minutes after penetrating about 25 miles into its airspace.
