Russian Overnight Strikes on Kyiv Kill 10, Leave Dozens Injured

Ukraine reported that Russian forces carried out a major overnight assault on Kyiv using missiles and drones, killing 10 people, among them a child, and injuring 38. The attack caused widespread destruction across seven districts of the capital, with apartment blocks and other civilian buildings heavily damaged. Kyiv’s emergency services were deployed to over 20 sites, extinguishing fires, clearing debris, and searching for survivors. In the Darnytskyi district, a five-storey residential building was partly destroyed, and rescuers worked to locate residents possibly trapped under rubble.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the assault, stating that Russia had chosen missiles over negotiations and death over diplomacy. He called on the international community to impose fresh sanctions against Moscow. Ukraine’s Air Force reported it intercepted 563 out of 598 drones and 26 of 31 missiles launched during the night across the country. Despite these interceptions, debris and direct hits were recorded at nearly 40 sites nationwide. Local authorities described Russia’s tactics as systematic, combining attacks from multiple directions and deliberately striking residential areas far from the frontlines, continuing a pattern seen in recent months.

While Ukraine battled the aftermath of the attack, Russia’s Defence Ministry released its own statement, claiming that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to Moscow, these drones targeted at least seven regions, including the Afipsky and Kuybyshevskyi oil refineries. Russia did not acknowledge the civilian damage in Kyiv and continued to deny that it deliberately targets residential areas.

Russian air strikes against Ukrainian towns and cities far from the battlefield have escalated in recent months, striking not only energy facilities but also homes, schools, and civilian infrastructure. Kyiv officials emphasized that the latest assault followed the same pattern, involving a mix of ballistic missiles and drones launched from different directions to overwhelm defences. The prolonged air raid in Kyiv lasted over nine hours, leaving the night sky filled with explosions and smoke.

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Ukraine described the attack as another demonstration of Russia’s refusal to engage in peace talks. Zelenskiy urged the world to see these strikes as a response to ongoing diplomatic efforts, including initiatives led by U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukrainian officials stressed that unless Russia is pressured further through sanctions and global action, the cycle of destruction will continue.

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