A barrage of Russian airstrikes and drone attacks claimed the lives of at least 13 civilians and injured 46 others across Ukraine in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian officials reported Saturday.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 623 aerial weapons overnight, including 339 Shahed-type attack drones, 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and numerous decoy drones. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 344 targets, downing 319 Shahed drones and 25 cruise missiles, while 258 decoy drones were neutralized by electronic warfare or lost from radar.

In Chernivtsi Oblast, two people were killed and 14 injured in an attack on the city of Chernivtsi, with residential and administrative buildings, shops, and vehicles heavily damaged, according to Governor Ruslan Zaparanyuk. 

Kharkiv Oblast faced glide bombs and drone strikes, injuring four civilians and damaging a university, apartment blocks, and energy infrastructure in Kupiansk and Izium. In Sumy Oblast, drone and artillery attacks hit over 35 settlements, wounding four and damaging homes and utilities.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast reported three civilian deaths—two in an airstrike on Synelnykove and one from earlier artillery wounds in Nikopol, per Governor Serhii Lysak.

In Lviv Oblast, missile strikes injured six, including an 11-year-old boy, and sparked fires at industrial sites while damaging residential structures.  Kherson Oblast saw two civilians killed and eight injured in shelling and drone attacks across 30 towns and villages, with damage to homes and agricultural facilities.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast endured 566 strikes, including seven airstrikes and nearly 400 FPV drone attacks, killing two civilians and destroying homes and farms.

In Donetsk Oblast, four civilians were killed and 10 injured amid ongoing bombardments, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urgently appealed for enhanced air defense systems and drone interceptors, warning that Russia’s escalating aerial campaign threatens more civilian lives. “The pace of Russia’s aerial strikes demands swift decisions,” Zelensky said. “More air defense systems are needed, along with investments in interceptor drones, which are already delivering good results.”

As Russian attacks intensify, Ukrainian officials stress that bolstering air defenses is critical to protecting cities and infrastructure from further devastation. (ILKHA)