Russia Strikes Ukraine Ahead of Invasion Anniversary

Ukraine faced a wave of missile and drone attacks from Russia on Sunday, hitting energy facilities, railway lines, and residential areas, just two days before the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion.

AFP journalists in Kyiv reported a series of blasts starting around 4:00 am local time (0200 GMT), shortly after air raid alerts were issued. The Ukrainian air force later expanded the alerts nationwide, citing the ongoing missile threat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes on social media, saying, “Moscow continues to invest in strikes more than in diplomacy.” He added that Russia had launched approximately 50 missiles and 300 drones overnight.

“The main target of the attack was the energy sector. Ordinary residential buildings were also damaged, and there is damage to the railway,” Zelensky noted.

One man was killed and at least a dozen others injured, including four children, according to Ukraine’s national police. Rescuers were seen clearing debris from a heavily damaged two-storey house in Sofiivska Borshchagivka in the Kyiv region.

The attacks struck as temperatures in the capital plunged to nearly -10°C, prompting emergency services to respond across the city. Kyiv has faced repeated missile and drone assaults since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022, with recent weeks witnessing intensified winter strikes.