Russian forces launched a combined drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, killing at least two people and injuring 16 others. The assault struck residential buildings and ignited a fire at a hotel on a central boulevard, according to officials and witnesses.
Details of the Attack
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, reported two fatalities and 16 injuries. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Telegram that the first to sixth floors of an apartment building collapsed after a direct hit. He also noted that among the injured were paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, and some people remained trapped inside damaged residential buildings.
Multiple explosions were heard across Kyiv, a Reuters witness confirmed. Photos shared online showed a fire raging at the top of a building on Shevchenko Boulevard. Carrying children, belongings, tents, and pets, residents crowded into underground metro stations as air raid alerts were issued for most of Ukraine’s territory. This marked the most severe attack on the country since mid-June.
Zelensky Cuts Short EU Visit
President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned of a possible overnight attack and announced he would cut short his visit to Dublin, where he was attending the start of Ireland’s six-month term in the rotating presidency of the European Union. He did not provide further details on the shortened trip.
Exchange of Attacks and Regional Impact
The attack comes amid ongoing exchanges of strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky has proposed talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the more than four-year-old war, but the Kremlin leader has rejected the offer. Ukraine has recently intensified strikes deeper into Russian territory, causing a widespread fuel crisis in the world’s third-biggest oil producer and forcing Russia to import gasoline from as far away as India.
In Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, home to Putin and major export and oil refining facilities, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that six drones were shot down on Thursday. In the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, local authorities reported that a man was killed and his wife injured after a drone hit their home. Reuters could not independently verify the details of these casualties.
NATO Ally Poland Scrambles Jets
Neighboring Poland, a NATO and European Union member, scrambled fighter jets on Thursday as a preventive measure in response to the escalating attacks. Both Russia and Ukraine maintain that they do not deliberately target civilians.
