
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine left at least 15 people dead and dozens more injured, while severely damaging residential buildings and energy infrastructure.
In Poltava, a central city in Ukraine, a Russian missile struck a residential building, resulting in 11 deaths and injuring 16 others, including four children. 22 people were rescued from the rubble, but emergency workers spent hours recovering bodies and assisting the injured. Among those waiting outside, a retired military veteran anxiously searched for his family, certain they were inside the building on the first floor. His fears were realized as the bodies of his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were brought out.
Further east, in Kharkiv, one person was killed and four were wounded following a drone attack. In Sumy, a village in the northeastern part of Ukraine, three police officers were also killed while patrolling during the ongoing assault.
In a separate incident, both Ukraine and Russia traded accusations for a strike on a boarding school dormitory located in a Ukrainian-held area of Russia’s Kursk region. The Ukrainian military reported that four people were killed in the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, calling them acts of terrorism and emphasizing the need for more support to defend against Russian aggression. He stated, “Each such terrorist attack proves that we need more support in defending ourselves against Russian terror. Every air defense system, every anti-missile weapon, saves lives,” in a post on Telegram.
In total, Russian forces launched 123 drones and more than 40 missiles, with Ukrainian air defense units managing to shoot down 56 drones and redirect another 61.
These deadly attacks are part of the ongoing conflict that has devastated Ukraine, with both sides suffering heavy casualties and destruction.