Russia Kills Eight in Ukraine as Poland Raises Air Defence Alert

Russian forces have launched widespread missile, drone and artillery attacks across Ukraine, killing at least eight people and injuring several others, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 174 drones and two Zircon anti-ship missiles overnight. Ukrainian air defences intercepted or disrupted 141 of the incoming targets, while the missiles reportedly failed to reach their intended targets.

Russia’s Defence Ministry also claimed that its forces attacked two commercial vessels in the Black Sea — a Ukrainian dry cargo ship heading towards Odesa and a tanker docked at the port. Moscow alleged that the vessels were carrying military supplies.

In Kharkiv region, Russian attacks across 14 settlements killed five people and injured 15 others. In Kherson region, shelling in 25 communities killed three people and injured five, damaging residential buildings and other infrastructure.

The Dnipropetrovsk region also came under repeated attacks involving drones, artillery and aerial bombs, causing damage to warehouses, a clinic, a shopping centre and residential properties.

Poland Raises Military Readiness

Poland placed its air-defence systems on high alert and scrambled fighter jets after Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault near its border with Ukraine.

Poland’s Operational Command said military aviation operations were conducted inside Polish airspace as a precaution because of the intense Russian drone activity in Ukraine.

The operation ended shortly afterwards, with air-defence and radar units returning to normal operations. Polish authorities said there was no violation of Polish airspace, but the military remained on alert and continued monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that its forces had made territorial advances on several fronts, including more than 5,300 square kilometres since the beginning of the year. Russia also reported intensified fighting near Zaporizhzhia and around the Kramatorsk-Slovyansk area.

The claims from the Russian Defence Ministry have not been independently verified.