KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russia launched 122 missiles and a score of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 20 civilians across the country in what an air force official said was the biggest aerial barrage of the war.
The Ukrainian air force intercepted most of the ballistic and cruise missiles and the Shahed-type drones overnight, said Ukraine´s military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel that it was “the most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
According to the Ukrainian air force, the previous biggest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles against Ukraine. This year, the biggest was 81 missiles on March 9, air force records show.
DNIPRO, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: An aerial view of a destroyed building after the Russian strike hits the city center in Dnipro, Ukraine on December 29, 2023. Appolo mall, the Blue building, maternity hospital and many other buildings were damaged in the attack. Head of the Military Administration of the Dnipro Region, Sergey Lisak stated that there were deaths in the missile attacks carried out by Russia in the morning. (Photo by Arsen Dzodzaiev/Anadolu via Getty Images)
KYIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: The city centre is filled with smoke after Russian rocket attacks on the capital of Ukraine on December 29, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia launched missile attacks targeting major Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv, Lviv, eastern Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv. Russia attacked Ukraine with 122 missiles and 36 drones. They attacked a maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, a shopping center, high-rise buildings and private houses resulting in 12 dead and 75 wounded. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as air defense forces destroyed 114 aerial targets. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
DNIPRO, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: Smoke rises from a building that was heavily damaged after Russian strike hit city center of Dnipro, Ukraine on December 29, 2023. Appolo mall, Blue building, maternity hospital and many other buildings were damaged in the attack. Sergey Lisak, Head of the Military Administration of the Dnipro Region, stated that there were deaths in the missile attacks carried out by Russia in the morning. (Photo by Arsen Dzodzaiev/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Western officials and analysts recently warned that Russia had limited its cruise missile strikes in recent months in an apparent effort to build up stockpiles for massive strikes during the winter, hoping to break the Ukrainians´ spirit.
Fighting along the front line is largely bogged down by winter weather after Ukraine´s summer counteroffensive failed to make a significant breakthrough along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) line of contact.
Ukrainian officials have urged the country’s Western allies to provide it with more air defenses to protect itself against aerial attacks like Friday’s one. Their appeals have come as signs of war fatigue strain efforts to keep support in place.
At least 88 people were injured and an unknown number were buried under rubble during the roughly 18-hour onslaught, Ukrainian officials said. Among the buildings reported to be damaged across Ukraine were a maternity hospital, apartment blocks and schools.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin´s forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
“Today, Russia used nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal,” Zelenskyy said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
KYIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: The city centre is filled with smoke after Russian rocket attacks on the capital of Ukraine on December 29, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia launched missile attacks targeting major Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv, Lviv, eastern Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv. Russia attacked Ukraine with 122 missiles and 36 drones. They attacked a maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, a shopping center, high-rise buildings and private houses resulting in 12 dead and 75 wounded. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as air defense forces destroyed 114 aerial targets. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Pedestrians walk by a damaged business centre after a rocket attack in the centre of Kyiv on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by SERGEI CHUZAVKOV / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI CHUZAVKOV/AFP via Getty Images)
KYIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: The State Emergency Service of Ukraine is carrying out work to extinguish a fire at a warehouse after rocket attacks in the center of the capital of Ukraine on December 29, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia launched missile attacks targeting major Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv, Lviv, eastern Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv. Russia attacked Ukraine with 122 missiles and 36 drones. They attacked a maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, a shopping center, high-rise buildings and private houses resulting in 12 dead and 75 wounded. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as air defense forces destroyed 114 aerial targets. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
KYIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: The State Emergency Service of Ukraine is carrying out work to extinguish a fire at a warehouse after rocket attacks in the center of the capital of Ukraine on December 29, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia launched missile attacks targeting major Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv, Lviv, eastern Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv. Russia attacked Ukraine with 122 missiles and 36 drones. They attacked a maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, a shopping center, high-rise buildings and private houses resulting in 12 dead and 75 wounded. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as air defense forces destroyed 114 aerial targets. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Russia “apparently launched everything they have,” except for submarine-launched Kalibr missiles, in the attack.
The aerial attack that began Thursday and continued through the night hit six cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and other areas from east to west and north to south Ukraine, according to authorities.
Reports of deaths and damage came in from across the country.
Five people were killed and 20 injured in the eastern city of Dnipro where four maternity hospital patients were rescued from a fire, officials said.
Municipal workers clean debris in the street in front of a maternity hospital, damaged following a rocket strike in the city of Dnipro on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a high-rise building after a missile attack in Odesa on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOVOLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Firefighters and municipal employees work at the site after a rocket attack in the city of Dnipro on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
LVIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: A view of the damaged buildings after Russian strike hit Ukrainian’s Lviv city on December 29, 2023. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched 110 missiles into Ukraine’s territory. Most missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian air defence. As a result of the missile attack, three schools, a kindergarten and many buildings were damaged. While 1 person died in the attack, 15 people were injured, 1 of whom was in serious condition. (Photo by Pavlo Palamarchuk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In Odesa, on the southern coast, falling drone wreckage started a fire at a multi-story residential building, according to the regional head, Oleh Kiper. Two people were killed and 15, including two children, were injured in the course of the Odesa attack, he said.
The mayor of the western city of Lviv, Andrii Sadovyi, said one person was killed and eight injured and three schools and a kindergarten were damaged in a drone attack in the region.
Several dozen missiles were launched towards Kyiv during the night, with more than 30 of them intercepted, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration. The attack started a fire at a warehouse in the capital´s Podil district where five people reportedly were pulled from the rubble. Three people were killed in the capital.
In northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the city was subjected to at least three waves of aerial attacks overnight that included S-300 and Kh-21 missile launches. One person was killed and at least nine injured, officials said.
LVIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: A man is seen with a ladder in front of the damaged building after Russian strike hit Ukrainian’s Lviv city on December 29, 2023. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched 110 missiles into Ukraine’s territory. Most missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian air defence. As a result of the missile attack, three schools, a kindergarten and many buildings were damaged. While 1 person died in the attack, 15 people were injured, 1 of whom was in serious condition. (Photo by Pavlo Palamarchuk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a high-rise building after a missile attack in Odesa on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Local residents stand near a damaged school after a missile attack in Odesa on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire inside a destroyed building after a missile attack in Odesa, on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian firefighters stand next to destroyed cars and damaged buildings after a missile attack in Odesa, on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by YURIY DYACHYSHYN / AFP) (Photo by YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire inside a destroyed building after a missile attack in Odesa, on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
A firefighter walks inside a destroyed building after a missile attack in Odesa, on December 29, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on December 29, 2023, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in one of the biggest air attacks of the war. (Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP) (Photo by OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
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