‘Dragging out this war’ Zelensky calls for ‘critical consequences’ after Russia hits kindergarten and energy infrastructure in massive overnight attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday night on Wednesday, killing multiple civilians and causing widespread damage across several regions. Commenting on the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, listed the affected regions as Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, and Sumy.

“Another night proving that Russia is not under enough pressure for dragging out this war,” Zelensky said in a statement. He added that “Russian talk of diplomacy means nothing” as long as its leadership faces no “critical consequences.” Such consequences, he said, can only be imposed through sanctions, long-range weapons, and coordinated diplomatic efforts from Ukraine’s partners.

In Kyiv, two people were killed, including one person in the Dniprovskyi district, where a fire broke out in a residential high-rise. At least 19 people were reportedly injured, including five children. Nine of the wounded, including four children, have been hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Damage from the attack was also reported in multiple other parts of the city, including the Pecherskyi, Desnianskyi, Darnytskyi, and Solomianskyi districts.

In the Kyiv region’s Brovary district, at least four people were killed, according to Governor Mykola Kalashnyk. Among the victims were a 38-year-old woman, a 12-year-old girl, and a six-month-old baby, all killed in the village of Pohreby. A 38-year-old man was also confirmed dead.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, at least 13 people were injured, including two children, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. The attack damaged 15 apartment buildings in addition to private homes and non-residential buildings.

In Kharkiv, Russian drones struck a private kindergarten in the city’s Kholodnohirskyi district, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported. One person was killed and five others injured, including children. A fire broke out in the building following the strike.

In the Odesa region, drone attacks targeted the city of Izmail, damaging critical energy and port infrastructure and sparking multiple fires. There were no casualties, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.

The attacks triggered emergency power outages. Private energy firm DTEK reported blackouts in Kyiv, as well as in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry stated that the massive missile and drone assault on the country’s energy infrastructure had led to emergency outages in most regions. The state energy company Ukrenergo added that the situation was most severe in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

Ukrainian Railways said that some railway infrastructure had been damaged and sections of track were without power, resulting in train delays and reroutes.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia targeted the country with a total of 28 missiles and 405 drones overnight on Tuesday, of which 16 missiles and 33 drones were shot down by air defense.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes were a “response to terrorist attacks” by Ukraine and said its forces had carried out a large-scale attack targeting energy infrastructure facilities that support Ukraine’s defense industry.