Russia kills 2 in massive drone strike on Ukraine
Russian forces unleashed one of their most intense aerial assaults in recent weeks against Ukraine overnight from January 4 to 5, launching 165 attack drones and nine ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses managed to down 137 of the drones, yet the barrage still claimed at least two civilian lives and injured several others across multiple regions.
The operation kicked off at 6 p.m. on January 4, featuring nine Iskander-M ballistic missiles and S-300 guided air-to-air missiles fired from Russia's Bryansk and Voronezh regions, alongside roughly 100 Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian air force units, anti-aircraft missile teams, electronic warfare systems, and mobile firing groups worked tirelessly to counter the onslaught in the north, center, and east of the country. Despite these efforts, strikes hit 10 sites, with debris impacting nine more.
In Kyiv's Obolonskyi district, a Russian drone slammed into a private medical facility, killing one person and wounding four others, two of them critically, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Emergency services reported damage to the second floor of the four-story hospital, prompting the evacuation of 25 people. A second fatality occurred in the Fastiv district of Kyiv oblast, where a man around 75 years old perished when his home caught fire during the attack.
The assault also targeted energy infrastructure, plunging the northern city of Slavutych into darkness and disrupting power for about 8,500 families. Critical facilities switched to backup generators as authorities set up emergency support centers for residents.
This attack unfolds amid mounting diplomatic pressure, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gearing up for high-level meetings across Europe. On January 6, French President Emmanuel Macron will host European leaders in Paris to discuss security commitments to Ukraine under what he terms the "Coalition of Volunteers." These talks follow January 5 discussions in Kyiv involving top military chiefs from Britain, France, Germany, and other European nations.
In response to the hospital strike, Zelenskyy urged Western allies to bolster Ukraine's air defenses. "Air defense is needed every day, funds for interceptor drone production are needed every day, and equipment for the energy sector is needed every day," he posted on Telegram. These diplomatic pushes come as peace negotiations stutter, with the incoming Trump administration floating a framework to end the conflict, though Russia has shown scant willingness for major concessions despite heightened engagement.
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