The overnight barrage has also hit arms production and storage facilities, according to the Defense Ministry
Russian forces carried out long-range strikes across Ukraine overnight, targeting airfields, defense industry facilities, telecommunications infrastructure and logistics hubs, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
The attacks struck targets in Kiev and Lviv, as well as in the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk, Zhitomir, Rovno, Vinnitsa and Dnepropetrovsk, the ministry announced on Thursday morning.
According to Ukrainian media, around half of the Russian missiles and drones launched during the barrage were directed at western Ukraine. Metro stations in Kiev reportedly became overcrowded as residents sought shelter ahead of the expected attacks.
The Russian military said the operation focused on facilities used to manufacture, store and deploy Ukrainian missiles and drones involved in long-range strikes against Russia. Three vessels suspected of transporting military cargo were also targeted, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, overnight Ukrainian attacks reportedly struck two warehouses belonging to the Russian e-commerce company Wildberries in Penza and Sarapul. The firm said one person was injured.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said that it had lost another F-16 fighter jet during a combat interception mission. The pilot ejected and was rescued, according to Kiev.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels since Vladimir Zelensky announced a 40-day “pressure campaign” against Moscow last month. Ukrainian officials have said the campaign is intended to damage the Russian economy and make the public feel the effects of the conflict more directly.
Zelensky traveled to Washington this week for talks with US President Donald Trump; he is seeking additional Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s air defenses. However, American stockpiles have reportedly been substantially reduced by the conflict with Iran and could take years to replenish, suggesting that Kiev’s shortage of key air-defense munitions is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Russian operations aimed at disrupting Ukrainian maritime shipments have meanwhile reportedly brought commercial traffic close to a standstill, with shipping companies considering the route too dangerous. Ukraine relies heavily on its Black Sea ports to export wheat, metals and other major commodities.
