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Overnight strikes across Ukraine
Russian forces launched widespread, deadly strikes across Ukraine overnight, with Kyiv among the hardest hit.
“Russia launched widespread strikes across Ukraine, hitting residential areas and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions; at least six people were killed in Kyiv (two in Dniprovskyi, four in Svyatoshynyi) and parts of the capital lost water, electricity and heating.”
Residential areas and energy infrastructure were struck, and parts of the capital lost water, electricity and heating.
Officials in Kyiv reported multiple fatalities and injuries amid fires and building damage.
Authorities on both sides reported heavy drone and missile activity.
The Herald Series reported at least six people were killed in Kyiv, two in Dniprovskyi and four in Svyatoshynyi.
France 24 said Russia launched a large overnight attack on Kyiv involving 22 missiles and more than 460 drones, and Ukraine reported at least seven deaths.
CNN noted that missile and drone strikes across Kyiv and other regions caused civilian deaths, injuries and damage to residential buildings and infrastructure.
Civilian impact of strikes
The strikes caused significant civilian hardship, with apartment blocks burning and residents sheltering in metro stations.
Utilities were knocked out in parts of Kyiv, prompting local emergency and rescue operations.
Reports described fires and rescues in multi-story blocks and injuries, including children.
Outages to power, water and heating compounded the humanitarian impact during cold-weather periods.
Cross-border drone and missile strikes
Ukrainian forces also struck targets inside Russia, with multiple sources reporting a Ukrainian drone attack that killed several people in Russia's southern regions and prompting Russian statements that its air defenses shot down a very large number of Ukrainian drones overnight.
“A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian border city of Taganrog killed three and wounded eight, damaging homes, while Russia’s defence ministry said it shot down 249 Ukrainian drones overnight (116 over the Black Sea).”
Moscow's defence ministry figures — widely reported in Russian and international outlets — said 249 Ukrainian drones were intercepted, while Kyiv described its raids as highly damaging to Russian targets in the south.
The exchanges underline the cross-border escalation of drone and missile strikes.
Diplomatic talks and strikes
Strikes occurred amid intense diplomatic maneuvering, as U.S., Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in Geneva and Abu Dhabi to rework a US-driven 28-point peace plan tied to former President Donald Trump’s proposal.
Other reporting highlighted concerns that the original draft contained measures seen as favorable to Moscow.
Western leaders and officials differed on next steps, ranging from warnings against capitulation to discussions of multinational reassurance forces, creating a contested diplomatic backdrop to the fighting.
Regional security and reporting
The crisis has raised regional security alarms.
“NATO jets were scrambled from Romania after at least one Russian drone entered Romanian airspace.”
NATO scrambled jets after incursions into Romanian airspace.
Leaders debated post‑ceasefire security arrangements.
Officials warned of further territorial threats if talks stall.
International reporting relays competing official claims without independent verification.
Across outlets, reporting shows intense fighting on the ground, fraught diplomacy, and divergent international reactions.