Russian Missiles Kill Seven in Ukraine as Poland Scrambles Jets

Russian ballistic missiles struck Ukraine overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, killing at least seven people, including one in Kyiv. The attacks extended as far as Lviv in western Ukraine, near the Polish border, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets to protect its airspace.

Emergency services said one person was killed in Kyiv and two others were injured. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported fires at several non-residential sites.

The deadliest attack was in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown. According to local officials, a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile directly struck the home of a large family. Six people were killed, including two girls aged five and 12, and eight others were injured. Rescue workers continued to search through the rubble.

In Lviv, missiles damaged two apartment buildings and injured at least 15 people.

Zelensky, who is returning from a visit to the United States, had warned that Russia was preparing a large-scale attack. He said President Donald Trump had agreed to give Ukraine licences to produce Patriot missile interceptors.

“It is important that our partners fully understand what is happening and that the protection of people’s lives depends directly on their willingness”, Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its drone attacks on Russia. A warehouse belonging to online retailer Wildberries caught fire after a strike in Penza, injuring one person and forcing the evacuation of about 200 people.

Reuters said it could not independently verify all the reports.

(Reuters, lud)