A massive Russian aerial assault involving more than 70 missiles and 280 drones struck Ukraine early Thursday, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens across multiple regions.
Polish air defenses went on high alert, scrambling an F-16 fighter jet after detecting an unidentified object moving through national airspace.
The object later disappeared from radar before crashing into farmland near Tarnawa-Kolonia, leaving a 33-foot-wide crater.
Casualties and Damage Across Ukraine
A Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile hit a family home near Kryvyi Rih, killing six people, including two young girls, according to local officials.
Additional fatalities and severe damage to residential buildings occurred in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava.
Ukrainians endured long air raid warnings throughout the night, with thousands taking cover in underground subway stations as emergency crews worked to pull survivors from collapsed concrete structures in Lviv.
Ukraine's air force reported shooting down 55 missiles and 265 drones.
However, air defenses intercepted only one of nine incoming ballistic missiles, allowing 11 missiles and 17 drones to hit 20 target locations across the country.
International Response
The European Union released $4 billion to Ukraine on Thursday morning to support the purchase of air defense systems, missiles, drones, and fighter jets as part of a larger loan package approved earlier this year.
During his recent visit to Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the urgent need for defense equipment while meeting with U.
S. lawmakers and discussing interceptor production licensing with President Donald Trump.
"The protection of people's lives depends directly on their willingness," Zelenskyy said regarding the commitment of Ukraine's Western allies to supply necessary air-defense missiles.
Officials in Kryvyi Rih reported severe casualties following the direct hit on a residential house early in the attack.
"A dark night," Vilkul wrote on Telegram, noting that eight other individuals were injured during the strike on the home.
Residents in western Ukraine recounted harrowing scenes as rescue operations proceeded through damaged residential blocks.
"I was terrified watching the rescuers go beneath those concrete slabs," a Lviv resident told Reuters while emergency workers rescued a boy from damaged wreckage.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the airspace breach, noting that initial evidence pointed to a Russian Kh-101 missile, and indicated that the U.
S. is interested in assisting with the investigation.
"All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101," Tusk said, stating that Polish forces stood ready to intercept the missile if it threatened populated areas.
The incident coincided with U. S.
Senate progress on the Lindsey O.
Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a package designed to penalize Russian energy projects and foreign buyers of Russian oil.
