Russia escalated strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, launching 135 drones and hitting five locations despite air defenses downing or jamming 123 of them, according to Ukrainian reports .
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to a new Kremlin doctrine permitting broader strikes on civilian infrastructure, including roads, schools, and hospitals, to pressure residents to flee cities like Kyiv. “We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere,” Zelenskyy told Reuters . He stressed Ukraine would not target civilians but would focus on Russian energy assets funding the war.
Russian forces struck Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro River for the first time, damaging the Southern and Northern Bridges and disrupting traffic. Ukrainian intelligence intercepted communications indicating President Vladimir Putin ordered commanders in September to disregard warfare rules in airstrikes, Zelenskyy said .
Moscow warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Ukraine, stating it would continue “systematic” retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said responsibility for ignoring the warning would lie with those who remain .
