Indian Citizen Among 12 Killed In Russian Strikes Across Ukraine, Says Zelenskyy

An Indian citizen was among 12 people killed in the latest Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, as an overnight barrage struck homes and civilian infrastructure across several regions. Dozens of people were also injured.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used a large number of jet powered drones and ballistic missiles in the latest assault. The attacks damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in multiple parts of Ukraine.

Kyiv and the surrounding region were among the worst hit. Seven people were killed after a Russian strike hit a railway depot in the capital, Zelenskyy said. Around 350 rescuers were deployed in Kyiv and the surrounding area to search for victims and deal with the damage.

In Boryspil, a five storey residential building was damaged, prompting the evacuation of around 50 people. Four people were killed and 13 injured in the city, while several businesses were also damaged.

The Russian strikes also targeted Odesa and surrounding areas, where glide bombs and drones damaged infrastructure and disrupted electricity supplies for thousands of families. Emergency crews were working to restore power. A border crossing with Romania and export infrastructure were also damaged.

Other regions hit included Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk, according to Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy attributed the high death toll to gaps in Ukraine's air defence capabilities and called for additional systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. He said Russia's attacks cause the greatest loss of life when Ukraine lacks sufficient air defence resources, while thanking countries supporting Kyiv through the PURL initiative and bilateral assistance.

The latest attack came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During the meeting, Modi urged Putin to help end the Ukraine war “for humanity's sake” and reiterated India's support for efforts aimed at finding a peaceful resolution. The identity of the Indian citizen killed in the latest Russian strikes has not yet been disclosed.