Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 17 people and injured several others across Ukraine in overnight attacks, local authorities said Thursday.
Russian forces launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians.
It was the largest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the operation, saying the barage was launched "in retaliation" for Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, where long-range drones and missiles have hit Russian oil refineries and war-related manufacturing plants.
In the capital Kyiv, a 12-year-old child and three others were killed in a Russian strike, while nine people died in the southern port city of Odesa, officials said.
At least 18 people were injured in Kyiv, military administrator Tymur Tkachenko said, with local media reporting multiple explosions as missiles struck the city in several waves.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency teams had rescued a mother and child from a building in a central district of the city, where the ground floor was badly damaged.
Courtesy: DW
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
