Russia launched a massive air strike against Ukraine overnight, injuring four railway workers and prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets, Ukrainian and Polish authorities said, quoted by the agencies, BTA reported.
The attack coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's participation in a military parade in Beijing marking the end of World War II, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the event, the Chinese leader warned that the world faces a choice "between peace and war."
Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine for hours after explosions hit nine of the country's 24 regions from Kiev to Lviv and Volyn in the west, Ukrainian authorities and media reported.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 430 of the 502 Russian drones and 21 of the 24 missiles, adding that three missiles and 69 drones hit 14 villages in Ukraine.
At the same time, the air strikes prompted Ukraine's western neighbor and NATO member Poland to mobilize its own and allied air forces to ensure security in its border areas.
The wounded railway workers in the central Kirovohrad region were hospitalized immediately after The attack, and Ukrainian state railways warned of delays of more than 7 hours for dozens of trains caused by damage to the railway infrastructure.
Another five Ukrainian citizens were injured in the Znamyanka municipality, Kirovohrad region, and 28 houses were damaged. Public transport in the western city of Khmelnytskyi reported delays, and the regional governor noted fires and damage to residential buildings. In the northern city of Chernihiv, the attack cut off power to 30,000 customers and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, while fires broke out in warehouses in Ivano-Frankivsk region, local authorities said.
Russia has refrained from commenting. The two warring countries deny carrying out targeted strikes against civilians in the conflict since February 2022.