A wave of Russian missile attacks early on Friday hit several cities across Ukraine, killing at least 23 people and injuring many others, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the airstrikes as "another night of [Russian] terror" and called for an escalation of global sanctions against Moscow.
Ukraine's air defense shot down 11 Russian cruise missiles in Kyiv airspace, the regional military administration reported, in what authorities said was the first missile attack on the country's capital in 51 days.
The barrage comes at a time when analysts see the potential for an imminent and large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive, with the Eastern European country bolstered by billions of dollars worth of Western military and economic support. And Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told reporters on Friday that preparations for such a move are in their final stages.