Russian forces launched a major drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, killing 25 people and injuring 85, in what Mayor Vitaly Klitschko described as the “most massive attack” on the Ukrainian capital. The assault, which lasted over 11 hours, deployed the largest number of weapons on the city and struck locations across a wide area, including an ambulance station. Ukraine’s State Emergencies Service confirmed that two children were among the injured.
Details of the Attack
The attack came in several waves, starting with a drone strike on Kyiv’s historic quarter that set a hotel on fire. Around 01:00 local time, dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles were fired, followed by another dozen cruise missiles at 03:00, and then a swarm of drones that continued until dawn. Residential areas were hit, including a high-rise block in the Darnitskyi district on the city’s left bank, where two missiles caused devastation. One missile left a giant crater next to a kindergarten, and the surrounding buildings were gutted by fire. The second missile collapsed a nine-storey block of flats into a heap of concrete. Residents reported missing people who may have been sheltering in the basement.
Civilian Impact and Response
Kyiv’s metro authorities said 52,500 people, including 4,500 children, sheltered in underground stations overnight, the highest number in recent years. The Ukrainian Red Cross reported that its warehouse was destroyed, losing supplies worth over £1.3 million (79 million Ukrainian Hryvnia), including around 320,000 relief items. The charity said this would affect emergency response and humanitarian operations across Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned earlier that Russia was preparing an attack. Moscow claimed its forces hit military plants in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would “continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals.” Ukraine accused Moscow of targeting civilian areas, with Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, stating, “The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians.”
Personal Accounts and Aftermath
Residents described the horror. Svitlana, who lives near the destroyed building, said she hid in her corridor during the air raid and heard explosions. “It wasn’t scary,” she said, “because I’ve been through it all before.” She revealed she had been badly injured in a previous Russian strike that killed her mother, and her son was later killed fighting for Ukraine. Oleksiy, his face covered in cuts and blood, told the BBC he stepped outside to smoke after the first missile, then the second hit and he was struck by flying glass. “This is not retaliation by Russia for Ukrainian strikes,” he said. “They started this war. This is a residential area. And they targeted it.”
Broader Context
Residents of Kyiv, who have lived through four-and-a-half years of war, say they have noticed a change in Russia’s assault pattern over the last two months: attacks may happen less frequently but last longer and seem more powerful and widespread. The attack on Kyiv follows a series of Russian strikes across Ukraine, and comes as more than 6,000 people fled Sudan’s West Darfur following RSF threats, according to a UN agency.
