Indian National Among 12 Killed in Russian Strikes on Ukraine After Modi's Peace Plea to Putin in SCO Summit
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An Indian national was among 12 people killed following a barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a post on X. The fatal overnight attack came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek to end the conflict "for humanity's sake".
"Overall, 12 people were killed, among them an Indian citizen, and dozens more were injured in the attack," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Fatalities Across Key Centres
According to Zelensky, Moscow deployed a significant number of jet-powered attack drones alongside ballistic missiles targeting civilian infrastructure across several regions. Dozens of civilians were left wounded in the offensive.
Capital city Kyiv bore the brunt of the assault, where seven people died following a strike on a railway depot, Zelensky stated. Nearly 350 emergency services personnel were deployed across Kyiv and the surrounding region to manage the aftermath.
In Boryspil, strikes hit a five-storey residential building, killing four people and injuring 13 others. Rescue teams evacuated 50 residents from the premises while nearby businesses also sustained damage.
"In Kyiv, a strike on a railway depot killed 7 people," Zelenskyy added.
Guided aerial bombs and loitering munitions struck Odesa and its surrounding areas, severing power lines and leaving thousands of families without electricity. Zelensky highlighted that Russian forces targeted export infrastructure and a border checkpoint linking Ukraine with Romania. Further strikes hit Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk.
High-Level Diplomacy Interrupted
The confirmation of the Indian citizen's death comes directly after Prime Minister Modi met President Putin in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where Modi reiterated that India supports all efforts towards peace and urged a swift end to hostilities.
Details surrounding the identity and exact location of the deceased Indian national have not yet been released by authorities. New Delhi has previously expressed strong concern over the safety of Indian citizens present in the conflict zones.
Defence Shortages Exploit Vulnerabilities
Zelensky attributed the scale of human loss directly to gaps in Ukraine's air defence coverage, stating that Russian forces calculate strikes to maximise destruction when defensive resources run low.
Expressing gratitude to international allies providing anti-ballistic systems through the PURL initiative and bilateral arrangements, the Ukrainian president urged partners to ramp up hardware deliveries in the coming months to bolster defense capabilities.
