In one of the most brutal and widespread attacks since the war began, Russia has unleashed a massive aerial assault across Ukraine, targeting major cities from east to west with a devastating barrage of hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, and explosive drones.The coordinated overnight and morning strikes pummeled the capital, Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro, overwhelming air defenses and sowing terror deep into civilian areas. The human cost has been staggering, with initial reports confirming at least 30 people killed and more than 160 injured in what Ukrainian officials are calling a calculated act of terror.The attacks were indiscriminate. A maternity hospital in Dnipro was hit, along with residential buildings, a shopping mall, and critical infrastructure across the country. The sheer scale—involving nearly 160 missiles and drones—marks a significant escalation in the conflict, intended to cripple Ukrainian morale and infrastructure as winter sets in.In a defiant response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that his country would not be broken. "We will surely respond to terrorist strikes. And we will continue to fight for the security of our entire country, every city, and every citizen," he declared, making an urgent plea for more air defense systems from Western allies.The international community has responded with outrage. U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attack as a "stark reminder" of the Kremlin's objectives and urged the U.S. Congress to approve critical new aid for Ukraine without delay. The United Kingdom also announced it would be sending hundreds more air-defense missiles to help Kyiv defend itself.This massive assault is widely seen as retaliation for Ukraine's successful strike on a Russian warship in Crimea earlier in the week. The incident has pushed the conflict into a new, more intense phase, highlighting the urgent need for international support to counter Russia's escalating aggression.
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