Russia launched large-scale missile attacks against Ukraine overnight and on the morning of Dec. 8, killing at least one person and injuring at least six, officials reported.
Ukrainian officials warned that Russia is likely to intensify missile strikes against Ukrainian cities once the winter sets in, mirroring its strategy from last year.
Most of the casualties so far had been reported in a Russian morning missile strike against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's Pavlohrad district. Regional Governor Serhii Lysak said that one person was killed and four were injured in the attack.
The injured had reportedly been taken to the hospital for surgery. Two of them are in serious condition, Lysak said.
An industrial enterprise, 16 private houses, and five cottages were damaged, the governor said. A church and a car were also reportedly affected by the attack.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was further targeted by seven Shahed "kamikaze" drones, five of which were shot down, the Air Force said.
Russia targeted Kharkiv six times with S-300 missiles, injuring a 36-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
The man was hospitalized, while the woman received medical attention on the spot, the official added.
A children's playground, residential buildings, an educational institution, and around 20 cars were damaged in the attack, Syniehubov noted.
In the morning, Russian forces targeted Ukraine's capital with air-launched Kh-101/555/55 cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bombers, Kyiv City Military Administration head Serhii Popko said.
"Not a single enemy projectile reached the city. All missiles flying in the direction of Kyiv were destroyed by our air defenses on approach to the capital," Popko wrote on Telegram.
No casualties or damage had been reported in Kyiv, he added.
According to Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, Russia launched 19 Kh-101/555 cruise missiles total, of which 14 were downed over Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
