‘Hundreds’ of Russian missiles and drones strike Ukraine in deadly attacks as Poland scrambles jets

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, at least four people were killed in overnight strikes on Kyiv and other regions, while Poland took preventive measures to secure its airspace.

Russian attacks involving “hundreds” of drones and missiles killed at least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, and injured at least 10 in Ukraine on Sunday, as Polish fighter jets were scrambled to safeguard the country’s skies.

An air raid alert was issued over Kyiv, with the local military administration reporting that Russia was striking with drones and missiles.

“Russia launched another massive aerial assault on Ukrainian cities while people were asleep,” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on X. “Hundreds of drones and missiles again, destroying residential buildings and causing civilian casualties.”

He shared footage showing flames erupting from the windows of a multi-storey apartment building, which he said resulted from the attack.

Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, initially reported three deaths, including a 12-year-old girl killed by Russian attacks, later revising the number to four after discovering another body.

Many residents took refuge in deep underground metro stations. Air raid alerts were active in multiple regions across Ukraine.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital was under a “massive” assault and urged citizens to remain in shelters. He confirmed at least six people were wounded due to the strikes, with five hospitalized and one treated on-site.

The governor of southeastern Zaporizhzhia reported at least four injuries from Russian strikes there.

“Once again, residential buildings and infrastructure are being hit. Once again, it is a war against civilians,” said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office. “There will be a response, but Western economic sanctions against Russia must also intensify.”

Poland’s military confirmed on X that fighter jets were deployed and ground-based air defence systems placed on high alert in response to the Russian attacks on Ukraine. These steps were precautionary to protect Polish airspace, particularly in areas near the Ukrainian border. Poland also closed airspace near its southeastern cities of Lublin and Rzeszow until at least 0400 GMT on Sunday.

After meeting Donald Trump at the UN in New York, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing for a larger conflict. “Putin will not wait to finish his war in Ukraine. He will open another front. No one knows where. That is his plan,” he said.

Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of testing Europe’s ability to protect its airspace after drone sightings in Denmark, Poland, and Romania, and after Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace. Additional drones were spotted Friday night over a Danish military base, and Saturday over a Norwegian base.

He suggested EU governments are struggling to address this emerging threat. Earlier this month, Ukraine detected 92 drones flying toward Poland in a “coordinated” pattern, intercepting most of them. Nineteen entered Polish territory, where four were shot down.

Russia denied responsibility for the incursions or any plans to attack NATO members. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN General Assembly that “any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response.” Later, he warned that countries shooting down objects still inside Russian airspace “will deeply regret it.”