Russia has launched roughly 770 ballistic missiles and over 50 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukraine since the beginning of the year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

Responding to the deadly overnight attack, Zelensky wrote on Telegram:

“Tonight, Russia attacked Ukraine again - this time with dozens of attack drones and nine ballistic missiles. There was a missile strike on Kyiv. Unfortunately, there are casualties. My condolences to the relatives and friends... Almost every attack against our people is a combined strike with ballistics.”

Zelensky emphasized that such strikes highlight Ukraine’s need for Patriot air defense systems.

“No country should be left alone in the face of such evil. We must continue to cooperate. Everything can be done: partners have the necessary systems and can help protect Ukraine right now,” he wrote, calling on the US, Europe, and G7 nations to act.

“Russian ballistics require a response from strong states in real cooperation to protect life,” he added.

Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, told Il Foglio that Russia aims to plunge Ukraine into a total blackout to stir social unrest.

“It is no secret that the Russians want to cause a total blackout in Ukraine. They believe these attacks affect socially vulnerable groups the most,” Budanov said.

He revealed that while wealthier Ukrainians can mitigate outages with inverters, batteries, and generators, lower-income citizens remain the most exposed.

“The Russian leadership wants to achieve a complete power outage because it believes that will create social discontent within the country,” he added.

, Oct. 25, striking Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk regions with ballistic missiles and drones, according to officials.

In Kyiv, debris from intercepted missiles damaged buildings and shattered windows. A kindergarten in the Dnipro district was hit, and a non-residential building caught fire.

Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported two deaths, including one in the hospital, and 13 injuries, with three people remaining hospitalized.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a rescuer was killed and another injured after a repeated strike on the Petropavlivska community. A woman also died, and seven others were injured as residential buildings and shops were damaged.

Kharkiv’s outskirts came under attack for nearly an hour after midnight, with local media reporting about 15 explosions.

According to the Air Force, Russia launched nine Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 62 Shahed and Geran drones overnight. Ukrainian defenses shot down or suppressed four missiles and 50 drones, though five missiles and 12 UAVs still hit 11 targets across the country.