Russia launches massive missile, drone attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine late Sunday and into Monday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky said in his daily address that more than 100 missiles of various types and about 100 “Shahed” drones targeted his country in one of Russia’s “heaviest strikes.” He said some people were killed and dozens of others were injured, but he did not provide specific numbers.

“Like most previous Russian strikes, this one was just as vile, targeting critical civilian infrastructure. Most of our regions — from the Kharkiv region and Kyiv to Odesa and our western regions,” Zelensky said.

He also said there was “a lot” of damage in Ukraine’s energy sector but noted “restoration is already underway” for areas that have power outages.

He added there should be “no restrictions” on the weapons for Ukraine.

“There should be no restrictions on the range of weapons for Ukraine, while terrorists have no such restrictions. Defenders of life should face no restrictions on weapons, while Russia uses all kinds of its own weapons, as well as ‘Shahed’ drones and ballistic missiles from North Korea,” he said. “The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other partners have the power to help us stop terror. We need decisions.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russia fired drones, cruise missiles and hypersonic ballistic Kinzhal missiles targeting 15 Ukrainian regions, The Associated Press reported. He also called on Ukraine’s allies to send them long-range weapons and grant them permission to use them in Russia.

“In order to stop the barbaric shelling of Ukrainian cities, it is necessary to destroy the place from which the Russian missiles are launched,” Shmyhal said.

The AP reported the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it used “long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones against critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex,” adding all of its targets were hit.

Local officials said that at least three people were killed in the barrage and at least 13 people were injured, according to the AP.

Ukraine has been pushing to lift a policy that restricts Kyiv from using American-made weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. This comes as Ukraine has launched an offensive into the Russian region of Kursk in recent weeks.

The Associated Press contributed.