The Ukrainian government on Saturday condemned the Russian overnight attack that left at least four dead and 17 injured in several regions of the country. The bombing, which targeted critical infrastructure, the power grid, railways, and private homes in cities such as Kiev, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Sumy, revived calls by Ukrainian authorities to the international community to strengthen sanctions against Russia and increase military support for Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Andri Sibiga expressed on his X account that “Russian terror can and must be stopped” and stressed the need for “collective action” and “greater sanctioning pressure” against Moscow.
The Ukrainian foreign minister also called for increased energy support and defense capabilities for kyiv, insisting that"no one in the world wants this war to continue, except Russia."
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Friday night attack involved the use of twelve drones and five ballistic missiles at eleven locations across Ukraine. In Kyiv, local police reported that two people were killed and thirteen injured after ballistic missiles hit Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted a Telegram alert about explosions and confirmed that the city was under attack. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported fires in non-residential buildings and damage to windows in nearby buildings due to falling debris from intercepted missiles.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, acting governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said two people were killed and seven were injured, while several apartment buildings and private homes were damaged.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which the defenses intercepted four missiles and 50 drones.
Ukrainian officials reiterated their demand for Patriot air defense systems and long-range weapons from their Western allies. President Volodymyr Zelensky, through X, said attacks like this one reinforce the urgency of having such systems to protect Ukrainian cities.
“It is precisely because of attacks like this that we pay special attention to Patriot systems,” said the head of state, who also urged the United States, Europe and the G7 countries to implement the recently discussed measures to prevent these attacks from continuing to threaten lives.
On the international front, Zelensky asked the United States to expand sanctions on the Russian oil sector and to deliver long-range missiles, such as the Tomahawk, to respond to the attacks. During a meeting in London with European leaders, the Ukrainian president sought to strengthen the West's military commitment to protect Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire that would halt the war, which has now lasted more than three years. The meeting, organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, focused on increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin and coordinating new sanctions that would affect Russia's energy revenues.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly reiterated the Kremlin's opposition to an immediate ceasefire. Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for investment and economic cooperation, told CNN that Russia , the United States and Ukraine were"quite close to a diplomatic solution" to end the conflict, although he acknowledged that a planned summit between Donald Trump and Putin in Budapest was postponed and still has no set date.
The attacks are part of an intensification of the Russian offensive against Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure, especially with the arrival of winter. Authorities in Kyiv insist that strengthening air defenses and providing advanced weapons are essential to halt the bombing campaign and protect the population.
According to Sibiga, only a sufficient response capacity will allow Ukraine to neutralize Russian means of attack at their points of origin, reinforcing the urgency of decisive international action to curb the use of terror as a weapon of war.
