Russian strikes kill at least 15 in Ukraine despite advance warning of major attack

Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and around a dozen Ukrainian regions overnight into Wednesday, killing at least 15 civilians, including three children, and injuring more than 40, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine had anticipated the attack, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning a day earlier that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a "massive" strike. But the warning was not enough to prevent extensive deaths and damage.

The attack underscored the difficulty Ukraine faces in intercepting Russia's ballistic missiles and newer jet-powered drones. Ukrainian authorities have said shortages of ammunition for US-made Patriot air defence systems are limiting their ability to counter ballistic weapons, while Kyiv is racing to develop new interceptors capable of catching faster drones.

A Russian strike destroyed an apartment building in Pryluky in the northern Chernihiv region, killing nine people, including three children, and injuring 34, Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi said.

Deaths were also reported in three other cities, including Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy.

"The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively," Zelenskyy said in a social media post.

In Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, two people were killed and seven injured, regional military administration head Vitalii Diakivnych said. Rescue operations were continuing.

Diakivnych said the attacks appeared intended to spread fear among civilians.

"That is exactly what the enemy is counting on. For us to be afraid to fall asleep. To let our children out of our sight. To plan anything. So that everyone thinks: next time it could be my address," he said.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces carried out a "massive strike" overnight against industrial facilities involved in producing and storing missiles and drones across Ukraine.

It also said port and ship-repair facilities in the southern Odesa region, as well as ships carrying cargo for the Ukrainian military, were targeted.

The latest barrage came as Russia and Ukraine remain locked in a long-range aerial war, with their ground forces largely deadlocked more than four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

The sustained attacks are placing further pressure on Ukraine's already stretched air-defence capabilities. Zelenskyy said Kyiv was searching worldwide for available Patriot missiles, which have become more difficult to obtain amid the war involving Iran.

"Russian ballistic missiles remain the greatest challenge. And air defense packages for us right now are a vital necessity," he said.

Ukraine strikes back

Ukraine has continued to target Russian energy infrastructure with long-range drones and missiles.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had struck two oil facilities and a training ground in Russia's Perm, Samara and Astrakhan regions. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the claims.

He also indicated that Ukraine had carried out an attack in the Black Sea, posting images purportedly showing an oil tanker burning near the Russian resort city of Sochi.

The images could not be independently verified.

Russian online media had also circulated the images late Tuesday. Unconfirmed reports said the tanker was carrying oil from Novorossiysk to India and had been attacked by Ukrainian sea drones.

The latest escalation comes as US-led efforts to end the war have yielded little immediate progress. Low-level technical talks remain under discussion, while Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to pursue the invasion.

Western analysts say Moscow is betting that sustained military pressure will eventually weaken Ukraine and test the resolve of its Western supporters.