Zelenskyy says Russia struck maternity hospital in huge overnight attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia carried out a “massive” attack overnight hitting several regions across Ukraine and a maternity hospital in Odesa.

“For yet another night, instead of a ceasefire, there were massive strikes with Shahed drones, cruise and ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said. “In Odesa, even a maternity hospital became a Russian target. Thirteen people were injured. Tragically, there are fatalities,” he added.

Governor of Odesa region Oleh Kiper said two people were killed during the attack.

Zelenskyy said the assault was “one of the largest attacks” on Kyiv, with the Odesa, Dnipro and Chernihiv regions also coming under fire. He reported that Russia launched 315 drones —250 of them Iranian-designed Shaheds — and seven missiles, “2 of which were North Korean-made ballistic missiles,” he said.

The overnight attack came just one day after Russia launched nearly 500 drones at Ukraine —the largest overnight drone bombardment since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began in 2022 — according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The strike coincided with a renewed Russian push along the eastern and northeastern front lines of the battlefield.

On Monday, Russia and Ukraine carried out another exchange of prisoners of war, as a result of direct talks between the two sides in Istanbul on June 2.

The return of POWs and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead remain among the few issues on which both sides have been able to find an agreement, as broader negotiations have failed to bring the war any closer to an end.