what we know about the Russian strikes against several cities that left at least 26 dead

Russian missiles hit Ukraine again. These attacks targeted three cities in the country, on the night of Thursday 27 to Friday 28 April. At least 26 dead are to be deplored, in Dnipro, in the Kherson region and in Ouman, according to the Minister of the Interior.

>> Follow the latest news on the war in Ukraine in our live

In kyiv, 11 missiles were shot down in the sky, without causing any casualties, according to the municipality. Here’s what we know about this massive attack, now rarer in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Night attacks in three Ukrainian cities

During the night of Thursday to Friday, Russian missiles fell on several cities in Ukraine. In Umana city of some 80,000 inhabitants located in the center of the country, two rockets damaged three large buildings in the city, according to the Ministry of the Interior. A video broadcast by the Ukrainian media shows a gutted apartment building with many rubble on the ground.

At Dniproa large city in central-eastern Ukraine, several missiles hit civilian buildings, according to the mayor, Borys Filatov. In Kyiv, 11 cruise missiles fired from strategic bombers were shot down in the sky of the capital, as well as two drones, according to the municipality. In total, the Ukrainian Air Force claims to have shot down 21 X-101/X-555 type cruise missiles and two drones across the country.

At least 26 dead

The toll of this attack is heavy for the Ukrainians. In Umanat least 23 people were killed in the Russian attacks, including four children, according to the balance sheet of the Ministry of the Interior, updated in the afternoon.

At Dnipro, the Russian attack left two dead, according to the mayor. It is a woman and a 3-year-old child. Three other people were injured.

In Kyiv, no casualties were recorded, thanks to the interception of the missiles. Only a power line was cut following the fall of a debris which also damaged the roadway, according to the authorities. “No civilian casualties or damage to residential buildings or infrastructure were reported” in the capital, said the head of the air defense forces of Kyiv, Sergey Popko, quoted by the administration.

In the evening, the Ukrainian authorities also announced the death of a 56-year-old man found in the rubble of his house in Kherson regionin the south of the country, where no strike or victim had been mentioned until Friday.

Rarer massive strikes

While Russia regularly bombed Ukrainian cities and infrastructure during the winter, massive strikes had become rarer in recent months. This is the first massive missile attack on the Ukrainian capital since early March.

The Russian offensives carried out during the winter targeted energy infrastructure in particular, often causing massive cuts in electricity and running water. These attacks then involved dozens of missiles. This Russian tactic, however, did not bend kyiv.

Ukraine’s air defense system has been bolstered in recent months by the delivery of Western equipment, crucial to the country’s war effort. In particular, kyiv received the sophisticated American Patriot systems in April. The Ukrainian capital was the target last week of an attack by 12 Iranian-made drones, eight of which were shot down, without causing any casualties.

Ukraine announces ‘response’

For months, Ukraine has said it is preparing a counter-offensive aimed at repelling Russian forces from the territories they currently occupy in the east and south. A will reiterated following these new attacks. “Russia has once again confirmed its status as a killer country. Let’s take our revenge”, reacted the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior on Telegram. Preparations “are coming to an end”said the Minister of Defense for his part on Friday.

“Every attack, every evil act against our country and against [notre] people brings the terrorist state closer to failure and punishment”added President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram. “Russian terror must get a just response from Ukraine and the world. And it will,” he promised.