Russian strikes kill five and injure dozens across Ukrainian cities
Regional officials confirm casualties and structural damage as Moscow cites retaliation for Luhansk dormitory attack
Russian air strikes targeted several major Ukrainian cities early on Tuesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens in what officials described as a coordinated assault. Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv were among the hardest hit, with residential infrastructure damaged and thousands of residents forced to shelter underground amid ongoing air raid alerts.
In Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that four people were killed and 16 injured in the attack. Hanzha stated on Telegram that all injured individuals were hospitalised in moderate condition, posting images of heavily damaged residential buildings, burnt-out vehicles and a destroyed children’s playground.
Kyiv suffered significant structural damage, with military administration head Tymur Tkachenko confirming at least one death and 29 injuries across the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a suspected missile strike on a 24-storey apartment building triggered a partial collapse, leaving people likely trapped under the rubble. Other buildings, including a nine-storey block, caught fire from suspected missile debris, while fires broke out near a kindergarten and in the Obolon district.
In the north-eastern Kharkiv region, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that 10 people, including a child, were injured in drone and missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify all reports from the affected areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a possible wider assault, stating that intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remained in effect. “A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address, adding that defenders were ready 24/7 with currently available supplies.
Russia stated the attacks were in response to a drone strike last month on a dormitory in the Russian-held Luhansk region, which killed 21 people. Ukraine denied carrying out that attack. Moscow had previously warned of systematic strikes on military and decision-making targets in Kyiv and urged foreigners to leave.
The war in Ukraine has continued for more than four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Both sides have engaged in reciprocal attacks, with Russia targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure and Ukraine increasing strikes on Russian oil facilities. Efforts to end the conflict have made little progress, with the administration of US President Donald Trump focused on conflicts in the Middle East.
