Russia carried out one of its deadliest attacks of the year on Ukraine early Thursday, striking multiple cities including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. Officials reported at least 17 deaths, including a 12-year-old child, and dozens of injuries. In Kyiv, four people were killed when a drone hit an 18-story residential building, while fires and heavy smoke spread across the city. In Odesa, eight people were killed and 26 injured as a residential building and key infrastructure were damaged.

Dnipro faced repeated strikes from Wednesday evening into the night, leaving four dead and about 30 injured, with another fatality reported in a separate attack. Two people were injured in Kharkiv following drone strikes. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said rescue operations were ongoing and the death toll could rise.

Moscow claimed its attacks targeted Ukrainian power facilities, cruise missile sites, and drone production centers. Ukraine said it retaliated by striking Russian-occupied Crimea and infrastructure in Tuapse, where Russian media reported two deaths and seven injuries in a drone attack that caused a major fire.