Ukraine claims seven were killed in most significant Russian airstrike.

Rescuers and residents are searching for survivors in the rubble next to a damaged residential building in Uman, which is around 215km south of Kyiv. Courtesy image.

Russia has launched one of its largest air attacks on Ukraine to date, according to the head of the Ukrainian air force.

The attack, which involved missiles and drones, targeted more than half of Ukraine’s regions on Monday, resulting in at least seven deaths and dozens of injuries. Power infrastructure was damaged, leading to widespread blackouts, and the entire country was placed under air raid alert and advised to seek shelter.

Russia confirmed it had targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, one of its ongoing tactics, and claimed all its objectives were achieved.

The assault began overnight on Monday and continued into the morning. Later in the day, a civilian infrastructure building in Kryvyi Rih, a city in eastern Ukraine, was hit by a Russian missile, killing one woman and leaving another five people missing, according to local military administration head Oleksandr Vilkul on Telegram.

Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine’s air force, reported that Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 attack drones overnight and into Monday morning. Ukraine managed to intercept 102 missiles and 99 drones, he stated on Telegram. Oleshchuk described the combined attack as “the most massive aerial attack.”

Poland, a NATO member, reported that an “object” entered its territory during the attack, likely a drone based on its trajectory and speed, according to army spokesman Jacek Goryszewski, as quoted by Reuters. NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah condemned the attacks on Ukraine and labeled breaches of NATO airspace by Russia as “irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

The previous record for a large-scale attack was set last December, when 158 missiles and drones were fired at Ukraine. This latest attack primarily targeted energy infrastructure but also aimed to undermine Ukrainian morale.

The assault follows recent Ukrainian military successes deep within Russian territory in the Kursk region. With Monday’s strikes, Russia sought to remind both Ukrainians and Western leaders that it still holds significant power in the conflict, signaling that it can continue to inflict hardship on the Ukrainian population at will.