Russia Launches Airstrikes on Ukraine, Leaving 3 Dead

Russia launched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine over two consecutive nights, resulting in three deaths and dozens of injuries.

On the morning of September 20 (local time), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Russia had attacked across Ukraine between September 19 and 20 with 40 cruise and ballistic missiles and approximately 580 drones. He stated that in Dnipro, a missile equipped with cluster munitions directly struck an apartment building. According to him, the overnight airstrikes left three people dead and dozens injured. One person was killed and at least 26 were injured in Dnipro, while two others died in the Chernihiv and Khmelnytskyi regions.

President Zelensky condemned the attacks, saying, "These assaults are not for military necessity, but are part of Russia's deliberate strategy to terrorize civilians and destroy our infrastructure." He urged the international community to provide air defense support to Ukraine and to strengthen sanctions against Russia, stating, "Every sanction on Russia saves lives."

When western Ukraine, near the Polish border, came under air attack, the Polish military dispatched fighter jets in response. The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command stated on X, "Due to Russian long-range aerial activity targeting western Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled." A few hours later, the Operational Command announced that the Russian airstrikes on Ukraine had ceased and the operation was suspended, explaining, "This operation was preventive and aimed at securing the airspace near threatened areas."

On September 10, after a Russian drone violated its airspace, Poland invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which allows any member to request emergency consultations if its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened, and strengthened its air surveillance. On the morning of September 19, a Russian military fighter jet also violated Estonian airspace.