On a day of intensified hostilities, a sequence of strikes hit Kiev and several other Ukrainian cities, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. The events unfolded in February 2022 when orders were executed by the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin.
In a statement released via messaging channels, Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Igor Klimenko reported casualties across multiple locations. In Kiev, two people were killed, with additional fatalities reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and Lviv, as well as in Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. The broader toll from the attacks included around eighty people wounded, reflecting a widespread assault on civilian areas.
Klimenko described the strikes as an extensive bombardment that damaged civilian infrastructure, vehicles, and storage facilities in the capital. He noted that an apartment building in Lviv, a shopping center, and a maternity hospital in Dnipropetrovsk were among the targets.
Witness accounts from Odessa indicated a three-story building was hit, with fears that people remained trapped beneath debris. A fire sparked by the strikes at a tall apartment building led to the rescue of several occupants.
As rescue operations continued, Klimenko cautioned that casualty figures could change. He stressed that emergency crews, police, and the National Guard were working to extinguish fires, locate victims, and provide assistance across the affected regions.
In Kyiv, the City Hall reiterated the situation via its messaging channel, confirming two deaths and multiple injuries. Authorities described one attack as launched by the enemy, marking the largest assault since the war began. Russian forces reportedly deployed kamikaze drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and other projectiles, triggering an air alert in the capital that persisted for several hours.
Officials said the capital faced a multi-wave attack with missiles arriving from various directions, and air defense systems intercepted more than thirty missiles.
Zelensky promised to respond
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes, noting that Russian actions targeted a maternity hospital, schools and universities, a shopping center, and multiple residential buildings in Kiev, Lviv, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and other cities. In a Telegram message, he stated that Russia was using almost its entire arsenal in the assault and that around one hundred ten missiles were fired, with most shot down.
The president acknowledged casualties and emphasized that all services were mobilized to provide support to those affected and to help families of the victims. He expressed condolences and wished a rapid recovery to the injured. Zelensky concluded that Ukraine would answer these attacks and work to safeguard the security of every city and its people, underscoring that Russian aggression would be defeated.
Analysts in Canada and the United States observed that the attacks underscored the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure in wartime and highlighted the key role of international humanitarian responses. They noted the need for sustained defensive and diplomatic efforts to deter further aggression while ensuring rapid recovery and support for affected communities across Europe.