At least five people have been killed and tens of thousands left without electricity after a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack struck multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sunday.
Among the victims were four members of a single family including a 15-year-old girl who died when their home was hit in the village of Lapaivka, near the western city of Lviv. Another family member and two neighbours were injured in the strike.
The attacks, which lasted several hours, caused widespread blackouts in Lviv, forcing the suspension of public transport services. Ukraine’s energy ministry reported damage to energy infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, and Sumy, as Russia intensified strikes on critical facilities ahead of winter.
In Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and more than 73,000 residents lost power after a power plant was hit. “A 16-year-old girl is among those receiving medical treatment,” regional governor Ivan Fedorov said, sharing images of destroyed buildings and burnt-out vehicles.
President Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 50 missiles and about 500 drones in the coordinated overnight assault. He called for stronger international support and faster delivery of air defence systems, saying, “We need more protection and faster implementation of all defence agreements to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning.”
Poland, Ukraine’s western neighbour, scrambled fighter jets and raised air defence readiness to safeguard its airspace. “Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our skies,” Poland’s operational command confirmed, adding that NATO assets had also been activated.
Russia’s defence ministry described the barrage as a “massive strike” targeting Ukrainian military and energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Moscow claimed its air defences intercepted 32 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The renewed wave of attacks underscores Russia’s ongoing campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy grid as winter nears, while Kyiv continues to push for expanded Western military support.
