Russian missile and drone strikes ripped through residential districts of Kyiv overnight, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more in one of the deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent months.
The assault came just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a massive strike, citing fresh intelligence. Air raid sirens wailed late in the evening and continued into the early hours as explosions echoed across the city.
Residents described a night of terror. AFP journalists reported hearing more than a dozen blasts in central and eastern Kyiv as people, some clutching children and pets, rushed into underground metro stations and basements to shelter from the barrage.
By morning, entire sections of apartment blocks had been torn open, their facades sheared away to expose mangled rooms and shattered stairwells. Locals picked their way across piles of concrete and twisted metal as smoke drifted over the skyline.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 13 people were confirmed dead and 86 wounded, warning that the toll could rise as rescuers combed through the debris. Emergency crews battled fires and searched for survivors in the ruins of multiple residential buildings.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones, including ballistic weapons that are far harder to intercept. Ukrainian defences reportedly shot down 48 missiles and 476 drones, but those that got through caused extensive damage in densely populated areas.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha renewed Kyiv’s plea for additional Western air defence systems, urging partners not to delay decisions after what he called a night of horror. Zelensky had already appealed to citizens to heed air raid alerts and use shelters, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing a large-scale strike for some time.
Among those sheltering underground was 32-year-old doctor Kateryna Kucheryava, who carried her sleeping child into a metro station. She described struggling to calm her daughter amid bright lights, barking dogs and crying children as the bombardment continued overhead.
The attack underscored the escalating cycle of strikes and counter-strikes. Ukraine has intensified long-range drone operations against targets inside Russia, while Moscow insists its latest barrage was retaliation for those attacks.
As the war grinds on with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight, Zelensky accused the Kremlin of rejecting every overture for meaningful negotiations and pursuing only further aggression against Ukraine and its neighbours.
