ISTANBUL
Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine overnight, targeting critical energy and civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday, while renewing his call for a truce to stop further destruction.
Zelenskyy said nearly 70 missiles, both cruise and ballistic, along with almost 200 attack drones, were used in strikes on multiple regions, including Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Ternopil.
Residential buildings were also damaged, with casualties reported in Kharkiv after a missile struck near an apartment block.
He said that despite the heavy bombardment, Ukraine’s air defenses, including F-16 fighter jets and French-supplied Mirage aircraft, intercepted several Russian cruise missiles.
“The Mirages successfully intercepted Russian cruise missiles. Thank you!” Zelenskyy noted, praising the efforts of air defense forces, army aviation, and electronic warfare units.
Calling for an end to hostilities, Zelenskyy stressed that the path to real peace must begin with halting Russian attacks on civilian areas.
“The first steps toward real peace must include forcing the sole source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks against life,” he said. "Ukraine is ready to pursue path to peace, and it is Ukraine that strives for peace from very first second of this war."
He also urged international allies to help enforce a ban on missile and drone strikes.
Zelenskyy said in a separate statement that Ukraine is ready for "peace as soon as possible: we have proposed specific steps."
"And every day, new Russian attacks and reality itself prove that it is Russia that must be forced to make peace – to stop the war, to engage in real diplomacy, to guarantee security and to achieve a reliable, lasting peace," he added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed Zelenskyy’s appeal, emphasizing the scale of the attack, by saying “261 missiles and drones. Russian murderers will only stop when we stop them. Pressure on Russia must be increased to end the war sooner.”
Russia claims to have taken 4 settlements
Meanwhile, Moscow claimed its forces captured four villages in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region over the past week.
In a statement, the ministry said Andriivka, Burlatske, Pryvilne, and Skudne had come under Russian control following operations by the Tsentr (Center) and Vostok (East) military groups.
The ministry also reported conducting seven coordinated strikes using precision weapons and drones, targeting military airfield infrastructure, ammunition depots, production workshops, storage facilities, and command centers for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Strikes were also carried out on boat bases, temporary locations of Ukrainian armed forces, "nationalist units," and foreign mercenaries, it said.
An additional strike was launched overnight using high-precision long-range air, sea, and land-based weapons, as well as drones, targeting gas and energy infrastructure facilities that support Ukraine's military-industrial complex, the ministry said.
"The objective of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets were hit," the statement read.
Over the past week, Russian air defense systems intercepted 21 JDAM guided aerial bombs and five US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, along with 637 aircraft-type drones, according to the ministry.
Since the beginning of the "special military operation" in February 2022, the ministry said, Russian forces have destroyed a total of 656 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 45,471 drones, 600 air defense systems, 22,076 tanks, and other armored combat vehicles, 1,523 multiple rocket launchers, 22,333 field artillery and mortars, and 32,573 special military vehicles.
