Russia launched a massive airstrike across Ukraine on the 2nd (local time), mobilizing a total of over 700 weapons, including 656 drones and 73 missiles. The attack left at least 13 people dead and over 100 injured, including three children, across Ukraine. As the attack became a reality about a week after foreigners were advised to evacuate Kyiv, concerns are growing over an escalation of the war.

Damage Reports Flood in from Capital Kyiv... "24-Story Apartment Building Collapses"

According to Reuters and AFP, explosions and plumes of smoke erupted across the capital, Kyiv, early this morning. A 24-story apartment building suffered a direct missile hit and collapsed, injuring numerous residents and leaving 140,000 people in the area without power. Missile debris fell on a 9-story apartment building in the Podil district, causing a fire, while vehicles and open spaces in the Obolon district also caught fire. The airstrikes, which began the previous night, continued into the early hours of the morning, with air raid sirens sounding across most of Ukraine. Major cities such as Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Dnipro were also targeted.

Ukraine: "602 Drones and 40 Missiles Shot Down" vs. Russia: "Responding to Terrorist Attacks"

The Ukrainian Air Force stated that the scale of this attack was more than double the usual size. They shot down 40 missiles and 602 drones through their air defense network but failed to prevent civilian casualties. Ukrainian authorities confirmed at least 13 deaths, including four in Kyiv and six in Dnipro.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed it was "responding to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime," adding that it mobilized long-range precision-guided weapons, including hypersonic aeroballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It further claimed to have struck defense industry facilities, fuel and transport infrastructure, and military airfields in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Poltava, and Sumy, asserting that all targets were successfully achieved. In the wake of the airstrike, the neighboring country Poland also heightened its alert status by activating its air defense systems and scrambling fighter jets.

Luhansk Retaliation and Ukraine's Counterattack

The attack occurred after Russia advised foreigners, including personnel at diplomatic missions in Kyiv, to evacuate on the 25th of last month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned of the possibility of an airstrike during a speech the day prior, urging the public to heed the alerts. Russia has been continuing its retaliation following a drone attack on a university dormitory in the occupied territory of Luhansk on the 22nd of last month, which killed 16 people, and President Putin has warned that those responsible will be punished.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff announced that it struck the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region of Russia using a long-range drone. Targeting the facility, which processes approximately 6.6 million tons of crude oil annually to produce fuel for the Russian military, Ukraine continues to expand its attacks on petroleum facilities within Russia.