Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian forces launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine the night of May 26, causing explosions in multiple regions and injuring at least three people.
The Air Force announced an aerial alert throughout the country, including the far-western oblasts, in the early hours of May 26, citing the threat of Russian missiles, drones, Tu-95MS bombers, and later, Kinzhal ballistic missiles.
Russian forces attacked Vinnytsia Oblast in the early hours of May 25, hitting residential buildings and injuring three people, Governor Serhii Borzov reported.
The attack struck an apartment building, Borzov reported at 4:23 a.m. local time. Three people were injured and residents were evacuated from the building. The State Emergency Service said the attack targeted the town of Zhmerynka, and that several buildings sustained damage.
In Mykolaiv Oblast, Governor Vitalii Kim reported that Russian drones damaged the windows of a preschool building. He also said air defense units destroyed three drones over the region.
Explosions were heard in Khmelnytskyi Oblast at around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to a correspondent from the news outlet Suspilne. Shortly thereafter, explosions were reported in Zhytomyr and Kyiv oblasts.
Residents of Starokostiantyniv in Khmelnytskyi Oblast also reported power outages, according to Suspilne.
Poland announced that it had scrambled military jets in order to ensure the safety of Polish airspace amid Russia's attack against Ukraine.
The Air Force reported the morning of May 26 that over the course of the night, Ukrainian air defense units intercepted 31 Shahed drones and 12 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles over Mykolaiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia and Chernihiv oblasts.
Russia's massive aerial assault follows the deadly bombing of a busy shopping center in Kharkiv in the middle of the day on May 25. The attack killed at least 12 people and injured 43. Hours later, a second Russian attack injured 25 people.
Chris York
(Updated: )
