Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent months overnight, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at cities across the country, including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 100 others.

The assault came after repeated warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Moscow was preparing a major strike.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 73 missiles and 656 drones beginning Monday evening. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or neutralized 40 missiles and 602 drones, but dozens of projectiles still reached their targets.

Kyiv was identified as the primary target, although attacks were reported at 38 other locations across the country.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed carrying out what it described as a “massive strike” using long-range precision weapons against Ukraine’s defense industry facilities.

“The strike objectives have been achieved, all designated targets have been hit,” the ministry said in a statement.

The deadliest attack occurred in the eastern city of Dnipro, where at least seven people were killed and 36 others injured, according to emergency services. Among the dead was a rescue worker killed during a secondary strike while responding to the initial attack. Regional authorities reported extensive damage to residential buildings and vehicles.

In the capital, Kyiv, at least four people were killed and 63 injured, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. A suspected missile strike caused part of a 24-story apartment building to collapse, raising fears that residents remained trapped beneath the rubble.

Klitschko said several fires broke out across the city, including in residential neighborhoods and open areas near public facilities.

Air raid sirens sounded across much of Ukraine throughout Tuesday morning, forcing residents to seek shelter in underground metro stations and designated bunkers. Authorities also reported localized power outages and disruptions to water supplies.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, at least 14 people were injured in the attacks, local officials said.

Hours before the assault, Zelenskyy had warned Ukrainians that intelligence services believed Russia was preparing a major operation.

“Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible; they have prepared one,” he said in his nightly address on Monday.

Following the attacks, Zelenskyy renewed calls for stronger Western military assistance and urged European nations to develop independent missile-defense capabilities.

“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic defense so that this war can finally be brought to an end,” he wrote on social media, emphasizing the importance of US-supplied Patriot missile systems for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

The latest escalation follows Russian warnings last week that it would conduct “systematic strikes” on Ukrainian military targets and decision-making centers in Kyiv. Moscow said the planned operations were a response to an attack on a dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region that killed 21 people. Ukraine has denied responsibility for that strike.

Now in its fourth year, the war continues with both sides intensifying long-range attacks. Russia has increasingly targeted Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure networks, while Ukraine has focused on strikes against Russian military and energy facilities. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, as fighting continues across multiple fronts.