At least six people have been killed and dozens wounded in Ukraine after Russia launched a large-scale drone attack on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported. The attack involved over 800 drones launched since midnight, with the assault ongoing.

Zelenskyy stated that the strikes deliberately targeted railway infrastructure and civilian sites in cities including Kyiv, Lviv, and the port of Odesa. Residential areas and energy facilities in the Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions were also hit.

Poland scrambled fighter jets as a precaution, and Slovakia briefly closed its border with Ukraine due to security concerns from the nearby attacks.

Zelenskyy condemned the timing of the attack, which coincided with US President Donald Trump's state visit to China, calling it no coincidence. He accused Russia of trying to divert global attention and escalate violence.

Defense adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov noted that drones flew 5-10 km from the Belarus border, aiming to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses and reach western regions. Russia denies targeting civilians but considers infrastructure strikes legitimate.

On the same day, Zelenskyy announced sending Ukrainian experts to Latvia to help build a multi-layered air defense system, following an incident where Ukrainian drones accidentally struck Latvian territory.

Source: www.dw.com