Russian strike on Ukraine kills Nighttime at least five dead
**At Least Five Killed as Russia Launches Massive Overnight Attack Across Ukraine**Ukraine woke up to devastation once again on Sunday after one of the largest nighttime assaults in recent months. At least five civilians, including a teenager, were killed as Russia unleashed a wave of missiles, drones, and guided bombs across several regions of the country, targeting what officials described as “critical civilian infrastructure.”
The strikes came just after midnight, shaking entire neighborhoods from Lviv in the west to Zaporizhzhia in the south. Explosions echoed for hours as air raid sirens blared across cities and towns, forcing families to take shelter in basements and subway stations.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moscow launched more than 50 ballistic missiles and roughly 500 drones toward nine regions across Ukraine during the overnight barrage. “The enemy continues to terrorize our cities and our people,” Zelenskyy said in a morning address. “We need faster and stronger air defense to protect our skies and save lives.”
**Lviv Hit Hard in Rare Strike**In the western city of Lviv, a place often considered a refuge from the frontlines, the night turned tragic. Regional officials confirmed that four people — including a 15-year-old — were killed in a combined drone and missile attack. Six more were injured, Ukraine’s emergency services said.
The strike caused widespread damage in two city districts, leaving thousands without power for several hours. Public transport was halted, and firefighters battled flames at a burning business complex on the outskirts of the city. Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, described the site as a civilian facility “completely unrelated to Ukraine’s military operations.”
“People were running from their homes in their pajamas, children were crying. This is not a military target — this is an attack on ordinary citizens just trying to survive.”
For Lviv residents, the assault shattered a sense of fragile safety. Many displaced families from eastern Ukraine had sought refuge there, believing the city’s distance from the front lines would protect them. “We came here from Kharkiv to escape the bombing,” said Olha, a mother of two sheltering in a school basement. “Now it’s happening here too. Where can we go next?”
**Zaporizhzhia Suffers Power Outages**Further south, the city of Zaporizhzhia — already suffering from near-daily attacks — was hit by another wave of Russian drones and guided bombs. Regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported that one woman was killed and nine others wounded, including a 16-year-old girl.
Emergency crews worked through the early hours to restore electricity and search for survivors under the rubble.
Photos and videos shared on local Telegram channels showed shattered apartment blocks, cars burned to husks, and streets covered with debris. In one video, firefighters can be seen carrying an elderly woman out of a partially collapsed building as smoke billowed around them.
“It was like the sky exploded,” said Serhii, a Zaporizhzhia resident who survived the blast. We just grabbed what we could and ran.”
**Appeal for Air Defense Support**Ukrainian officials once again appealed to Western allies for additional air defense systems. President Zelenskyy urged a “rapid implementation” of promised defense aid to make Russia’s aerial campaign “pointless.”
“Today, the Russians again targeted everything that allows people to live a normal life — electricity, water, transportation,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine’s air defense systems managed to intercept many incoming drones and missiles overnight, but the sheer volume of the assault overwhelmed defenses in some areas. Analysts say Russia appears to be intensifying its strikes as temperatures drop, likely aiming to cripple Ukraine’s power grid ahead of the winter.
**A Country Under Relentless Fire**Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, millions of Ukrainians have endured almost nightly bombardments. Yet Sunday’s coordinated strikes stand out for their scale and geographical reach — spanning nearly the entire country.
For many Ukrainians, the message from Moscow feels painfully clear: nowhere is truly safe. “They want to break our spirit,” said 27-year-old Anastasia from Lviv. “But every time they attack, we only become more determined to survive.”
Despite the destruction, rescue operations continued throughout the day, with volunteers delivering food, blankets, and generators to affected neighborhoods. “We rebuild, we mourn, and we keep going,” said one emergency worker in Zaporizhzhia.