Russia conducted an extensive missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight into Thursday, resulting in at least 18 deaths and numerous injuries, including two children. Ukrainian emergency services reported 85 people were wounded. The assault, which lasted 11 hours, damaged over 20 sites across the capital, primarily residential buildings, an ambulance station, a research institute, and a hotel. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko stated that the "most significant destruction" occurred in a residential building in Darnytskyi, where part of the structure was "blown away."
Ukraine's air force indicated that Russia launched nearly 500 drones and over 70 missiles in a "massive combined strike," targeting Kyiv from multiple directions. While most projectiles were intercepted, 33 made impact. Russia's defense ministry declared the assault a "massive strike using high-precision, long-range weapons," including drones, in response to Ukraine's "attacks on civilian infrastructure within Russian territory." This aligns with Russian statements that the strikes targeted military and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously warned of a potential "massive Russian strike" following Ukraine's recent drone campaign, which has targeted Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, condemned the strikes as a "night of horror" and urged international partners to provide more air defense systems, such as Patriot missiles, to counter such bombardments. Some 52,500 Kyiv residents sought shelter in subway stations during the attack.
