KYIV, Ukraine – At least 10 civilians were killed and more than 50 others injured in a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault across Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. During the attack, NATO scrambled aircraft after a Russian cruise missile briefly entered neighboring Poland before landing in a rural area.
The strikes targeted multiple regions across Ukraine, highlighting the continuing intensity of Russia’s air campaign. The missile’s entry into Polish airspace also raised security concerns among NATO members.
Polish authorities said the incident caused no casualties or property damage but described it as a serious security event.
Missile and Drone Attacks Strike Multiple Regions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 70 missiles, including numerous ballistic missiles, along with more than 280 attack drones.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted more than 260 drones, despite what he described as a shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile systems.
He said at least 10 regions were affected, with homes, businesses and infrastructure damaged or destroyed.
The Dnipropetrovsk region recorded the highest reported death toll.
Regional military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha said six people were killed and 10 others injured, including a 6-year-old girl and boys aged 11 and 17 near Kryvyi Rih.
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Zelenskyy said the children’s parents were also killed, while two other children were rescued alive from the rubble.
In Kyiv, ballistic missile strikes killed a 31-year-old man and injured two others, according to Ukraine’s National Police.
The Kyiv Metro said more than 56,000 people took shelter overnight in subway stations.
Authorities in Lviv reported one death and more than 30 injuries, including children, after a cruise missile struck the western city.
In the Poltava region, a drone strike on warehouses killed one person.
Officials in Kherson said Russian glide bombs struck an industrial area, killing a 56-year-old man.
Russia Says Military Sites Were Targeted
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian military infrastructure.
According to the ministry, the targets included air bases, weapons factories, telecommunications facilities, logistics centers, drone production sites, missile plants, aircraft repair facilities, electronics factories and chemical plants.
The attacks came two days after Zelenskyy met U.S. President Donald Trump and representatives of American defense companies to seek faster deliveries of Patriot air defense systems.
Zelenskyy has argued that additional missile defense systems are essential to protecting civilians from Russia’s expanding ballistic missile campaign.
He said Ukrainian air defense units continue to perform effectively despite shortages of interceptor missiles.
NATO Scrambles Aircraft After Missile Enters Poland
NATO confirmed that a Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace before landing in a rural area.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte described the incident as another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of the war.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “a very serious incident” but said there was no indication Poland itself had been deliberately targeted.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha identified the object as a Kh-101 cruise missile, saying the incident demonstrated that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses would also improve security across Europe.
According to NATO spokesperson Col. Michael O’Donnell, allied forces in Poland launched two fighter jets, an attack helicopter and two additional aircraft while activating ground-based air defense systems.
The Polish Armed Forces said the missile disappeared from radar shortly after entering Polish airspace.
A military helicopter later identified a probable impact site in farmland in Lublin Province.
Polish news agency PAP reported that investigators recovered missile fragments consistent with a Kh-101 cruise missile.
O’Donnell said NATO military commander Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assured Polish defense officials that the alliance would continue taking all necessary measures to protect NATO territory.
Long-Range Strikes Continue on Both Sides
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Russian officials reported that Ukrainian drone strikes set fire to several warehouses belonging to online retailer Wildberries.
Penza Governor Oleg Melnichenko said a warehouse in the Penza region was damaged, injuring four people and forcing the evacuation of 200 workers.
Wildberries also reported a drone strike on one of its warehouses in Russia’s Udmurtia region.
Russian outlet Astra reported another fire at a company warehouse in the Perm region following a separate drone attack.
According to Astra, 14 Wildberries warehouses have been struck in less than two weeks.
Ukraine has accused the retailer of supplying goods that can be used by the Russian military.
Separately, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said Ukrainian drone units destroyed four additional vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to circumvent international sanctions.
According to Brovdi, 205 vessels have been destroyed since July 6.
The latest exchanges underscore the continued expansion of long-range attacks by both sides as Ukraine seeks additional Western air defense support and NATO closely monitors any impact on allied territory.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
