Russian strike on Mykolaiv on May 16 left one woman injured, according to regional governor Vitaly Kim. City Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said via his official Telegram channel that several fires were reported in the city following the latest Russian attack.
Kim later showed a photo of a damaged grocery store. There was no information on other damages at the time of the publication.
Air raid alert sounded in many Ukrainian regions, including the capital, in the early hours of May 17.
Recently, Russia began expending more munitions than usual in an attempt to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defenses, a U.S. official familiar with the matter told CNN.
On May 15, Russia unleashed a barrage with hypersonic Kinzhal missiles launched from fighter jets, Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea, and land-based Iskander missiles, the head of Ukraine’s military said. The attack came from the north, south and east.
Ukrainian air defense successfully shot down all of the 18 Russian missiles targeting Ukraine yesterday, including six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, and the Air Force said on May 16.
Russia may have begun the expanded attacks in an attempt to "force Ukraine to delay its highly-anticipated counteroffensive," CNN said, citing a U.S. official.