Overnight barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles damages residential buildings, warehouses and a children’s hospital as power cuts hit parts of the capital.
A large-scale Russian missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight has killed at least six people and injured more than 30, Ukrainian authorities said, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv, Leaving Dozens Injured:
Explosions rocked several districts of Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the State Emergency Service. Residential apartment blocks, warehouses, non-residential facilities, a children’s hospital and an educational institution were among the sites damaged. Fires broke out in multiple locations, and people were trapped under rubble in at least one residential building. Emergency crews pulled two survivors from debris.
Klitschko reported strikes in the Solomyanskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Darnytskyi districts. In Solomyanskyi, the upper floors of a nine-storey residential building were destroyed and caught fire. A children’s hospital in the same area suffered damage, with windows shattered and vehicles burning on the grounds. Parts of the capital were left without electricity as power infrastructure was hit.
In the broader Kyiv region, an attack in the Brovary district killed at least one person and wounded another, regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said. Ukraine’s air force had warned of incoming ballistic missiles, including Zircon missiles launched from Russia’s Kursk region, as well as Kalibr cruise missiles.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service confirmed at least 33 people were injured in the capital. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later described a combined assault involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, noting the continued shortage of advanced air-defence systems such as Patriot interceptors.
Kyiv Hit by Fresh Wave of Russian Strikes:
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces carried out a precision strike with long-range weapons against military-industrial and logistics targets in Kyiv and the region, claiming damage to drone and missile production facilities, an ammunition depot, a logistics centre and a fuel depot.
The attack is the latest in a near-daily pattern of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Diplomatic efforts involving the United States and European partners have so far failed to secure a lasting ceasefire. Neighbouring Romania reported that one drone briefly crossed into its airspace, triggering an air-raid alert.
Rescue workers continued clearing rubble and extinguishing fires into the morning as the air-raid alert remained active for hours. Ukrainian officials urged residents to stay in shelters until the all-clear was given. The assault underscores the persistent vulnerability of civilian infrastructure and the strain on Ukraine’s air defences amid the prolonged conflict.