Zelensky Decries 'Vile' 12-Hour Russian Bombardment of Ukraine

Mon Oct 20 2025 21:37:42 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a devastating aerial attack lasting over 12 hours, Russia targeted multiple regions in Ukraine, resulting in casualties and significant damage. President Zelensky condemned the strikes, expressing Ukraine's commitment to retaliate.

A sustained Russian aerial bombardment across Ukraine, particularly aimed at Kyiv, resulted in the death of at least four individuals, including a young girl, and injured more than 70 others. President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled the strike 'vile' and indicated that Ukraine would respond to this aggression. The attack, characterized by nearly 600 drones and numerous missiles, has raised concerns about continuing Russian aggression and escalated tensions in the region.

A Russian aerial bombardment that lasted more than 12 hours has killed at least four people and injured at least 70 others in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deaths all occurred in the capital, Kyiv, where many of the projectiles were aimed, and the victims included a 12-year-old girl.

The barrage - involving nearly 600 drones and several dozen missiles aimed at seven regions of Ukraine - is one of the heaviest in recent months.

Zelensky warned that Ukraine would retaliate and said the 'vile' attack showed Moscow 'wants to continue fighting and killing'. Russia said it struck military facilities and industrial enterprises supporting Ukraine's armed forces.

For Ukrainians, aerial bombardments can be both random and routine. They tend to occur late on Saturday evenings - in this case, the first sirens were heard at 22:00 GMT.

Emergency services reported that an attack on Kyiv's Institute of Cardiology had killed a nurse and a patient. A large bakery, an automobile rubber factory, as well as apartment buildings and civilian infrastructure were also targeted, Zelensky noted.

He added that Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa regions were also hit. Zaporizhzhia's Governor Ivan Fedorov reported 34 injuries, including three children.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Igor Klymenko stated that at least 100 civilian sites had been damaged across the country by the attack.

Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine would strike back to 'force diplomacy' from Russia and anticipated a 'strong reaction' from Europe and the US following the attack.

The sequence of events is a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict, with tensions escalating between Russia and NATO member states following recent incursions into airspace.