Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian aerial strikes have killed at least nine people and wounded more than 80 across Ukraine during a massive nationwide drone assault.
In his evening national address, Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces launched more than 120 attack drones throughout the day, targeting civilian institutions and urban infrastructure.
Impacts were confirmed at the Academy of Sciences building and a hospital in Kiev, a commercial business centre in Dnipro, and an apartment block in Odesa.
Zelenskyy confirmed that the strike on the National Academy of Sciences in the capital killed one person, with another individual remaining trapped under the rubble after several floors of the facility were completely destroyed.
Strikes near Polish border
Zelenskyy reported that strikes also battered eastern regions, including Sumy and Kharkiv, whilst one jet-powered drone penetrated northwestern airspace towards the Polish border.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that a Russian drone struck an oil terminal on the Ukrainian side of the Yahodyn–Dorohusk border crossing with Poland, reporting no casualties at the installation.
"Russia continues to target Ukraine’s border infrastructure, bringing its war ever closer to NATO borders," Sybiha said, stressing that the attack proves Moscow "threatens security far beyond Ukraine."
Zelenskyy maintained that Ukraine's overall drone interception rate stood at 70 percent, whilst the success rate against advanced jet-powered Shahed drones reached 57 percent.
He noted that Ukrainian forces are actively operationalising and testing newly developed domestic interceptor drones, with certain frontline units already deploying them in combat.
"But, of course, some details still need to be improved to ensure sufficient effectiveness and scale. We are accelerating the work of the developers," Zelenskyy said.
