Kyiv, September 28, 2025 (Agencies): Ukraine endured one of the largest overnight aerial assaults of the war as Russian forces launched nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles across the country, leaving at least four civilians dead, including a 12-year-old girl, and injuring scores more.
According to Ukrainian officials, the attack lasted more than 12 hours and targeted Kyiv and several other regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. Air defense units intercepted most of the incoming weapons, downing 566 drones and 45 missiles, but some projectiles penetrated the defenses, causing destruction and casualties.
In the capital, debris damaged residential buildings and set multiple fires. A cardiology clinic was among the structures hit. In Zaporizhzhia, more than 20 people were injured as strikes destroyed homes and businesses. Rescue workers are continuing to search through the rubble.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the attacks as “deliberate terror against civilians,” urging Western nations to further tighten sanctions on Russia and restrict its energy revenues, which Ukraine says are being used to finance the war.
The strikes prompted Poland to temporarily close parts of its airspace near the border and scramble fighter jets in a precautionary move.
Military analysts warn that while Ukraine’s interception rate remains high, the scale of such combined drone-missile barrages could strain its air defense systems if repeated more frequently, raising fresh concerns about the country’s resilience ahead of winter.