By Zainab Bakare
Russia launched one of its largest overnight aerial assaults on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 30 in a barrage of missiles and drones that tore through residential neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials said the attack, which came hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a possible large-scale strike, forced evacuations across several districts as explosions echoed throughout the city.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia fired 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight, with Kyiv as the primary target. While air defence systems intercepted most of the incoming weapons, 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones struck 33 locations, leaving widespread destruction.
Emergency responders battled fires in apartment buildings, a central Kyiv hotel, and other facilities, while a damaged ambulance station left at least one person critically injured. By morning, burnt-out vehicles, shattered buildings, and deep craters scarred parts of the capital as rescue teams searched for survivors trapped beneath rubble.
Authorities said 34 people had been rescued, with children among those killed in the strikes. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas and renewed calls for additional air defence systems and tougher international sanctions.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, however, said the operation targeted Ukrainian energy and military infrastructure in retaliation for recent attacks on Russian territory.
The assault marks the first major strike on Kyiv in more than two weeks, underscoring the continued intensity of the war as fierce fighting persists along Ukraine’s eastern front.
