Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks hit nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv
Burning cars in a Kyiv region parking lot after the Russian air attack on Saturday. PIC/AFP
Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine early on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more, news agency AP reported, quoting Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks hit nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv.
“The enemy's target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he stated, adding that a missile armed with cluster munitions struck a multi-storey building in the city of Dnipro.
“Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote on his official Telegram account.
The Ukrainian President also informed that he expected to meet United States (US) President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) next week. He added that the first ladies of Ukraine and the US would likely hold separate talks focused on humanitarian issues concerning children.
His comments, made on Friday, were embargoed until Saturday morning.
At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro, AP reported.
Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow launched 619 drones and missiles, says Ukrainian Air Force
In the Kyiv region, authorities reported strikes in Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv, damaging homes and cars. In western Lviv, Governor Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.
Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.
This included 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles, reported AP. Ukrainian forces shot down 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.
“During the air strike, tactical aviation, in particular F-16 fighters, effectively engaged the enemy's cruise missiles. Western weapons once again prove their effectiveness on the battlefield,” the Air Force said.
Russia denies violating Estonia's airspace
Russia’s Defence Ministry denied its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace after Tallinn reported that three fighter jets crossed into its territory on Friday without permission for 12 minutes.
The incident, described by Estonia's top diplomat as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, occurred just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, raising fears that the war could spill over.
Moscow said the MiG-31 fighter jets remained over neutral Baltic Sea waters more than 3 kilometres from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland.
“On September 19, three MiG-31 fighter jets completed a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region,” the ministry said. “The flight was conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed through objective monitoring.”
Estonian officials said Tallinn had summoned a Russian diplomat to protest and initiated consultations among NATO allies under Article 4, which allows members to confer whenever territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
Polish and allied aircraft scrambled
Poland's Operational Command said Polish and allied aircraft were deployed overnight in response to Russian long-range airstrikes in neighbouring Ukraine. The operation was described as “preventive” and aimed at securing airspace near the threatened zones.
Polish jets have frequently patrolled the country’s airspace in connection with Russian attacks on Ukraine. Last week, Romania deployed two F-16 jets to intercept a drone that briefly entered its airspace.
Zelenskyy seeks to finalise security guarantees in New York meetings
Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and he hopes to gauge progress during next week’s meetings in New York.
He added that European nations are ready to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged, with discussions ongoing among military leadership and general staffs in Europe and the US.
“I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need,” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that sanctions against Russia must remain if peace efforts stall and said he would press the issue with Trump.
“If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions,” he said, adding that Trump is seeking strong steps from Europe.
(With AP inputs)
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