Russia escalated its aerial bombardment of Ukraine with the biggest air attack since the conflict started, hitting Kyiv and several areas late at night. The missile and drone attack resulted in at least 12 deaths, including three children from one family in the Zhytomyr area, and dozens of others wounded, said Ukrainian officials.
Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko also confirmed that the parents of the children were hospitalized, with the mother in critical state. The school of the children mourned the tragedy on Facebook, showing great sorrow.
The shelling is as Russia faces mounting global pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin to embrace a proposal for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried the strikes and blamed the US and the world as a whole for staying quiet, which encourages Russia, he argued. “The war does not end on weekends and weekdays. This cannot be overlooked,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram.
US Ukraine and Russia Special Envoy Keith Kellogg also condemned the attacks as violations of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols and called for a prompt ceasefire.
As tensions rose, the bombings were accompanied by the largest prisoner exchange in the war, marking unusual cooperation between the two countries. Ukraine’s Air Force cited 367 air weapons fired overnight, including 69 missiles and 298 drones, and most of them were intercepted.
This broke the record of last weekend when Russia launched 273 drones. Kyiv had non-stop air raid alarms and warned of remaining in shelters as civilian structures were damaged. The escalated attacks came after another deadly wave a day ago that killed 13 individuals.
With the conflict ongoing, Ukraine is being attacked relentlessly amidst stalled peace talks and increasing international alarm.
