Russia Bombards Ukraine With Missiles, 3 People Died

JAKARTA - Russia launched massive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight, killing three people, injuring dozens more, and damaging residential infrastructure and buildings.

Despite diplomatic efforts to find ways to end the war that began when Russia invaded in February 2022, fighting has intensified in recent months.

In a statement on the Telegram app, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, September 20, said Russia had launched about 580 drones and 40 missiles targeting infrastructure, civilian manufacturing companies, and residential areas in various regions of the country.

"Throughout the night, Ukraine was heavily attacked by Russia," Zelenskyy said.

"Every such attack is not a military necessity, but a deliberate strategy by Russia to terrorize civilians and destroy our infrastructure," he continued.

Russia denies targeting Ukrainian civilians.

In downtown Dnipro, a missile with a bunch munitions hit an apartment building, Zelenskiy said.

One person was killed, and at least 26 people were injured in Dnipro, local officials said.

Two people were also killed in the Chernihiv region in the north and the Khmelnytskyi region west of the country, regional officials said.

"I could hear 'Shahed' (drone) getting closer. I knew the plane was flying towards us. My son and I were so scared," Yulia Chystokletova, a Kyiv resident, told Reuters.

"This should not have happened in the 21st century. We are all human beings. We agree to sit down at the negotiating table," he said.

Kyiv is facing growing pressure in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops continue to move forward rapidly, destroying villages and cities, and claiming new territory.