Massive Russian Assault on Ukraine: 509 Missiles and Drones Launched, Causing Deaths and Widespread Destruction

Ukraine Endures Major Combined Arms Attack

According to ХВИЛЯ: In a large-scale overnight assault on March 7, Russian forces launched a combined attack against Ukraine using missiles and drones. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the enemy deployed 29 missiles and 480 attack drones. Ukrainian radio-technical forces tracked a total of 509 aerial attack weapons, of which air defense units intercepted or suppressed 472 targets: 19 missiles and 453 drones. However, 9 missiles and 26 attack UAVs struck targets across 22 locations. This represents one of the most intense barrages in recent months, testing Ukraine's air defenses to their limit.

Widespread Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

In Kharkiv, a ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the Kyivskyi district. At the time of reporting, seven fatalities were confirmed in Kharkiv, including children. The victims include a 13-year-old girl, a young boy, an elementary school teacher and her second-grade son, as well as an eighth-grade girl and her mother. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated:

"The body of a 13-year-old girl was found at the attack site. The clearing of debris is ongoing." - Oleh Syniehubov

In Kyiv, three people were injured in the attack, with two requiring hospitalization. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported:

"Three people were injured in the capital due to the enemy attack. Medics hospitalized two of them, and one received assistance on the spot." - Vitali Klitschko

Additionally in the capital, 1,905 buildings in the Pecherskyi, Dniprovskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Solomianskyi districts lost heating. In total, nearly 2,700 buildings in Kyiv were left without heat. Klitschko added, "As a result of last night's enemy attack and damage to a critical infrastructure facility, 1,905 buildings in the Pecherskyi, Dniprovskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Solomianskyi districts were left without heating."

In Zaporizhzhia, the attack damaged three apartment buildings and three private houses in the Dniprovskyi district. A three-month-old girl was injured and is reported to be in moderate condition. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, 15 drones were shot down, and nearly 200 rescue workers are on site dealing with a fire. In Odesa Oblast, port infrastructure was hit, damaging a grain storage facility.

Other regions also came under attack:

• Chernivtsi Oblast, the city of Novodnistrovsk and the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant;
• Khmelnytskyi Oblast, where windows were shattered in a building at a railway station in the Shepetivka district;
• Four railway substations in Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Vinnytsia oblasts.

During the air raid alert, over 20 trains were stopped in secure locations, and several trains altered their routes in Rivne, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr oblasts. The press service of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) announced: "Backup diesel locomotives have already been deployed on all de-energized sections. Inspection and repair of the infrastructure has also begun."

This attack underscores the severe and ongoing threats facing Ukraine and the critical need to bolster the country's defensive capabilities. The targeting of civilian areas and critical infrastructure, including energy and transport networks, highlights the conflict's devastating impact on daily life. The international community continues to monitor the situation as Ukraine calls for increased support to counter such assaults and protect its population.