The death toll from the massive airstrikes that Russia carried out on Kiev and other cities in the early hours of Friday into Saturday has reached six, with at least 80 wounded, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The massive missile and drone attack followed a warning issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin and conveyed through US President Donald Trump that the Kremlin would retaliate after Ukrainian drones destroyed Russian strategic bombers deployed deep inside Russian territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that three emergency workers were killed in the Russian attack on Kiev.
Two people were killed in an attack in the northern city of Chernihiv and at least one was killed in the northwestern city of Lutsk.
"Those killed in Kiev were rescuers who arrived at the scene of the initial strike and unfortunately died in a second Russian strike," Zelensky said tonight.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha wrote on the social network "Ex" that Moscow had "responded" to the downing of military aircraft "by attacking civilians in Ukraine". He added that high-rise residential buildings and energy infrastructure were hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the attack was against military targets and facilities related to the army, and that the actions were in response to "terrorist acts against Russia".
Zelensky said there were strikes in several other cities, with the total number of injured reaching 80. He added that there may be more people buried.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia attacked Ukraine with 407 drones and 45 cruise and ballistic missiles.
Russia said overnight that its air defense forces had intercepted 82 Ukrainian drones over various regions of the country over eight and a half hours, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"On June 6 between "At 14:30 Moscow time on June 6 and 00:00 Moscow time on June 7, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 82 Ukrainian drones," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The drones were intercepted over the Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan and Kaluga regions and the Moscow region, the military department noted.