Local officials report eight deaths, including three children, from a Russian missile and drone barrage across Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Russia fired over 70 missiles and more than 280 drones during the night. The heaviest impact occurred near his hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

He stated that numerous ordinary homes, civilian businesses and infrastructure sites suffered damage or destruction.

The strikes follow Zelensky's recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, where he sought approval for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles for defense needs.

Ukraine's foreign ministry reported that a Russian cruise missile entered Polish territory during the operation, breaching NATO airspace.

Polish officials are examining a crater found on their territory but have not verified it resulted from a Russian projectile.

In the village of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih, a ballistic missile killed six people, including a six-year-old girl and boys aged 11 and 17, according to defense council chief Oleksandr Vilkul.

Vilkul explained the missile struck a large family home, which Zelensky described as reduced to fragments.

Two private residences were leveled completely, with eight others injured, including an 84-year-old woman hospitalized and two children rescued from debris.

Zelensky had warned hours earlier of an impending large-scale Russian offensive.

In Kyiv, one fatality occurred alongside fires in three non-residential structures, per mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Poltava's mayor reported one death following an attack on a Nova Poshta postal terminal.

Explosions also hit Lviv, where mayor Andriy Sadovyi noted damage to residential buildings.

Several people sustained injuries, with some trapped under rubble as residents assisted rescue efforts.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited a 10m crater site after airspace violation during the Lviv strikes.

Polish forces deployed fighter jets after spotting at least a dozen missiles over western Ukraine near their border.

The nearest missile approached within 5km of the frontier at 03:29 before turning eastward.

Military teams later found the crater and debris in a field 2km from Tarnawa-Kolonia village in Lublin province, securing the area.

Police received reports of a strong blast in the vicinity.

Kyiv attributes the incident to Russia, with foreign minister Andriy Sybiha stating a Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland during the assault on Ukraine.

Polish authorities have not confirmed the claim, though Tusk and the defense minister plan a site visit Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, a Russian regional official described an overnight strike on a retailer warehouse in Penza.

One person was hurt at a Wildberries site, Governor Oleg Melnichenko stated on Telegram.

Wildberries, often called Russia's Amazon, has faced prior Ukrainian targeting.

The events follow Zelensky's appeals to strengthen Ukraine's anti-ballistic defenses.

Protection of lives hinges on willingness to supply air defense missiles, he posted on X.

The Patriot system remains among the few capable of countering ballistic missiles increasingly used by Russia against Ukrainian cities.