Russian Strikes Kill 10, Injure 50 Across Multiple Ukraine Regions

Russian forces launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine using hundreds of drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles, targeting multiple regions including Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Odesa, Samar, Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted the majority of these attacks, shooting down hundreds of drones and missiles despite losing their third F-16 fighter jet and a pilot who died heroically after destroying seven enemy targets. The strikes caused significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, with at least 10 people killed and around 50 wounded, including children, and notable fatalities in Odesa where a drone hit a residential tower, and in Samar from a missile attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for persisting with the war and emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, expressing readiness to acquire U.S.-made systems such as the Patriot missile defense. Meanwhile, the European Union extended existing sanctions on Russia but failed to adopt a new, stricter sanctions package, delaying further pressure on Moscow amid ongoing conflict. The sustained Russian bombardment underscores the deadlock in ceasefire talks and ongoing hostilities despite international calls for peace.