Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens more in what officials described as one of the most intense attacks on the city in months.
Ukraine’s air force said nearly 500 drones and more than 70 missiles were fired across the country in a “massive combined strike,” with Kyiv heavily targeted from multiple directions. While most were intercepted, officials said 33 projectiles hit their targets, striking mainly residential areas.
One Kyiv resident, Iryna Moskaeva, described fleeing her apartment with her children after explosions shattered windows and trapped them inside.
Emergency services said dozens of locations across the capital were hit, including apartment buildings, an ambulance station, and other civilian infrastructure. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with more victims feared trapped under rubble.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said entire apartment blocks were destroyed in the strikes, calling it a deliberate attack on civilians. He also urged Western allies to step up air defence support.
City officials reported that thousands of residents spent the night in metro stations as air raid sirens sounded for hours.
Russia’s defence ministry said the strikes were carried out in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, claiming it targeted military and energy infrastructure. Ukraine, however, says civilians bore the brunt of the destruction.
Authorities warned the death toll could still rise as rescue operations continue across Kyiv.
