Ukrainian authorities report that Russia is launching missiles and drones at Ukraine.

Sheltering in a metro station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.

 Yesterday, Ukraine experienced a devastating attack as Russian forces launched a series of missile and drone strikes targeting major cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, as well as energy infrastructure. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least three people and caused widespread destruction. 

Ukrainian officials reported that the assault involved a significant number of strike drones, and urged civilians to seek shelter to avoid further harm. Among the targeted cities, Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, were hit, along with the western city of Lviv. 

Air raid sirens sounded in various locations, and reports indicated the presence of Russian bombers in the airspace. The assault came on the heels of previous attacks in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, where a member of a Reuters news agency team tragically lost his life, and two journalists were injured.

This latest escalation follows Ukraine's surprise incursion into the Kursk region of Russia earlier this month, prompting a vow from Russian President Vladimir V. Putin to deliver a decisive response. 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal described the onslaught as a "massive Russian attack," involving cruise missiles, drones, and other weaponry that targeted 15 of the country's 24 regions, inflicting casualties and causing damage to vital infrastructure, including the energy sector.

Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, condemned the attack as a continuation of prolonged strikes on energy infrastructure, resulting in emergency blackouts. He noted that the ongoing assault aimed to deprive Ukrainians of electricity and warned that previous attacks had already inflicted severe damage on the country's power grid.

In response to these hostile actions, Ukraine has initiated retaliatory measures, including the destruction of fuel tanks and oil refineries in Russia. The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides resorting to increasingly aggressive tactics and inflicting significant harm on civilian populations and critical infrastructure.