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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia targeted six regions of Ukraine with 407 drones and 44 missiles successful 1 of its largest aerial attacks of the three-year war, Ukrainian officials said Friday. The nighttime battle killed 3 exigency responders successful the superior Kyiv, according to authorities.
The barrage included ballistic and cruise missiles, arsenic good arsenic a premix of strike drones and decoys, Ukrainian aerial unit spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said. Ukrainian forces said they changeable down astir 30 of the cruise missiles and up to 200 of the drones.
Ukrainian cities person travel nether regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbour successful February 2022. The attacks person killed much than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.
“Russia doesn't alteration its stripes,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy, arsenic good arsenic the Ukrainian Interior Ministry and the wide prosecutor's office, said 3 exigency workers were killed successful Kyiv portion responding to the Russian strikes. “They were moving nether occurrence to assistance people,” the Interior Ministry said successful a statement.
Kyiv politician Vitali Klitschko earlier said 4 radical were killed. His bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for clarification.
The warfare has continued unabated adjacent arsenic a U.S.-led diplomatic propulsion for a colony has brought 2 rounds of nonstop bid talks betwixt delegations from Russia and Ukraine. The negotiations delivered nary important breakthroughs, however, and the sides stay acold isolated connected their presumption for an extremity to the fighting.
Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a gathering betwixt Zelenskyy and Russian person Vladimir Putin to interruption the deadlock. But the Kremlin has efficaciously rejected a truce and hasn’t budged from its demands.
“The Kremlin continues efforts to falsely represent Russia arsenic consenting to prosecute successful good-faith negotiations to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine, contempt Russia’s repeated refusal to connection immoderate concessions,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based deliberation tank, said precocious Thursday.
Putin said successful a telephone telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week that helium would respond to Ukraine’s daring long-range onslaught connected Russian aerial bases connected Sunday.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attacks demonstrated cardinal differences betwixt Russia and Ukraine.
“The quality … is that Ukraine hits morganatic subject targets—such arsenic craft equipped to weaponry our children. Russia targets residential areas, civilians, and captious infrastructure,” Sybiha wrote connected X. “Putting Ukraine and Russia connected adjacent footing is unacceptable.”
The latest Russian onslaught came hours aft Trump said it mightiness beryllium amended to fto Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” earlier pulling them isolated and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a singular detour from his often-stated appeals to halt the war.
Russia besides reports drone attacks
In Russia, aerial defenses changeable down 10 Ukrainian drones heading toward the superior aboriginal Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Flights astatine Moscow airports were temporarily suspended during the nighttime arsenic a precaution.
Ukrainian drones besides targeted 3 different regions of Russia, authorities said, damaging flat buildings and concern plants. Three radical were injured, officials said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that aerial defenses downed 174 Ukrainian drones implicit 13 regions aboriginal Friday. It added that 3 Ukrainian Neptune missiles were besides changeable down implicit the Black Sea.
Ukraine struck airfields and different subject targets successful Russia, specified arsenic substance retention tanks and transport hubs, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Also, a locomotive derailed aboriginal Friday successful the Belgorod portion aft the way was blown up, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Russia has precocious accused Ukraine of sabotaging the obstruction network.
Ukrainian aerial defenses are strained
In Kyiv, aggregate explosions were heard for hours arsenic falling drone debris sparked fires crossed respective districts, said Tymur Tkachenko, caput of the Kyiv City Administration. He urged radical to question shelter.
Fourteen-year-old Kyiv nonmigratory Vitalina Vasylchenko sheltered successful a parking store with her 6-year-old sister and their parent aft an detonation blew 1 of their windows disconnected its hinges.
“I heard a buzzing sound, past my dada ran to maine and covered maine with his hand, past determination was a precise large explosion," she said. "My full beingness flashed earlier my eyes, I already thought that was it. I started having a panic onslaught ... I’m shocked that I’m alive.”
Ukraine’s quality rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, called for a beardown planetary effect to Russia’s latest overnight attack, saying the battle violated basal quality rights. “Russia is acting similar a terrorist, systematically targeting civilian infrastructure,” Lubinets wrote connected Telegram. “The satellite indispensable respond intelligibly and instrumentality factual steps, including condemning the aggressor’s actions.”
Several districts of Kyiv are hit
Authorities reported harm successful respective districts successful Kyiv, and rescue workers responded to harm and fires astatine aggregate locations.
In Solomyanskyi district, a occurrence broke retired connected the 11th level of a 16-story residential building. Emergency services evacuated 3 radical from the apartment.
The onslaught caused a blackout successful immoderate areas, and much than 2,000 households connected Kyiv’s eastbound slope were without power, the Kyiv City Administration said.
Elsewhere, 10 radical were injured by an aerial onslaught connected the occidental metropolis of Ternopil, determination politician Viacheslav Nehoda said. The onslaught damaged concern and infrastructure facilities, near parts of the metropolis without electricity, and disrupted h2o supplies.
Three radical were besides injured successful Ukraine’s cardinal Poltava region. Russia besides targeted the occidental Lviv and Khmelnytskyi regions, and the bluish Chernihiv region.
