Russia launches heavy air strikes across Ukraine as regional tensions rise

Russian forces launched extensive overnight strikes using a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones across Ukraine, targeting civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, Odesa, and Chernihiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported multiple casualties from the combined air assault, which follows a Russian raid on a major shopping center in Kryvyi Rih that killed 15 people and injured over 130.

In response to the Kryvyi Rih attack, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas remarked that it "shows the depravity of Russia," while Zelensky urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to help stop the conflict.

Meanwhile, Moscow indicated ongoing efforts toward a prisoner exchange following a Ukrainian drone raid on a Lukoil refinery. Geopolitical friction escalated as London approved local production of Scalp cruise missiles in Ukraine, prompting threats from the Kremlin. Additionally, Italy reiterated its refusal to deploy troops or participate in upcoming multinational military maneuvers.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.