Russia launches new drone, missile strikes against Ukraine

Russia launched new drone and missile strikes on Ukraine early Tuesday, killing at least five people, according to officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post online that Russia used more than “90 aerial targets against civilians and infrastructure.” The attack included 81 drones and cruise, ballistic, and air-launched ballistic missiles.

Zelensky shared a video from the country’s emergency services rescuing people from rubble and transporting them to hospitals.

“We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for this and all over attacks,” Zelensky said. “Crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished.”

Five air alerts were called overnight in the Kyiv region, which experienced blackouts after a heavy barrage on energy facilities Monday, The Associated Press reported. Ukraine said its air defenses destroyed all the drones and missiles, but falling debris started forest fires.

In an address Monday, Zelensky said Russia sent more than 100 missiles and about 100 drones, calling it one of the “heaviest strikes.”

He also noted some people were killed, and there was “a lot” of damage to the country’s energy sector.

In a post on the social platform X, President Biden condemned the latest attack from Russia. He vowed that the U.S. will “continue to lead a coalition of countries in support of Ukraine” and will be sending energy equipment to help repair its systems.

“Let me be clear: Russia will never succeed, and the spirit of the Ukrainian people will never be broken,” Biden wrote.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the attacks used “long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones” to target the “critical energy infrastructure” in Ukraine that supports its military, per the AP.

Four Ukrainian missiles were shot down over the Kursk region of Russia, where forces are fighting after Ukraine pushed into Kremlin territory earlier in August. Amid its offensive, Ukraine is looking to remove a policy that restricts it from using American-made weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

The Associated Press contributed.