Russian Missile Strikes Kill Seven Across Ukraine, Poland Scrambles Jets

Russian ballistic missiles killed at least seven people across Ukraine on Thursday, with strikes reaching as far west as Lviv, prompting neighboring Poland to scramble fighter jets to secure its own airspace.

Deadly Strikes Hit Multiple Cities

In Kyiv, one person was killed and two others injured after explosions were reported across the capital, with several non-residential sites catching fire. The deadliest attack struck President Zelenskiy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian ballistic missile hit a family home, killing six people, including two young children, and injuring eight others. Officials warned the death toll could rise as rescue crews continue clearing rubble. In Lviv, near the Polish border, missile strikes damaged two apartment buildings and injured 15 people.

Poland Responds With Air Defense Measures

Poland’s armed forces confirmed they scrambled fighter jets and activated ground based air defense systems as a precautionary measure amid the escalating Russian strikes, emphasizing the steps were preventive rather than a direct response to any specific threat.

Strikes Follow Zelenskiy’s US Visit

The attacks came shortly after Zelenskiy returned from Washington, where he said President Trump had agreed to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missile interceptors domestically, addressing a critical shortage in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.

Ukraine Continues Targeting Russian Infrastructure

Separately, Ukrainian drone strikes hit a warehouse belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries in Penza, causing a fire, one injury and the evacuation of roughly 200 people. The company has faced repeated drone attacks recently, with damage affecting nearly a dozen facilities and disrupting supply chains for thousands of small businesses.