Massive Russian Barrage Brings Heavy Civilian Losses Across Ukraine
Authorities said hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles targeted major cities in one of the most destructive attacks of 2026 so far.
Russia carried out a major overnight barrage against Ukrainian cities on Thursday, hitting Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro in one of the deadliest attacks Ukraine has faced this year.
Euronews reported that Ukraine's air force counted 659 drones and 44 missiles. Although most were intercepted or neutralised, enough weapons got through to cause serious destruction in several urban areas.
Four people were reported killed in Kyiv, including a child, while Odesa suffered especially heavy losses after a strike on a residential high-rise. Dnipro was also hit again after coming under attack earlier in the week.
The scale of the barrage reflects how Russia continues to combine pressure on infrastructure with terror against civilian areas. Ukrainian officials say repeated mass attacks are meant both to exhaust air defences and weaken public morale.