Kyiv: Russia launched one of its largest combined missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital overnight, killing at least one person and injuring 16 others in a massive aerial assault that further intensified the war. The attack comes as Ukraine faces mounting pressure from shortages of air-defence interceptors and continued Russian missile strikes targeting major cities.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia fired 41 missiles, including 25 ballistic missiles, along with 125 drones during the overnight attack. Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted 18 missiles and 108 drones, but several projectiles struck residential neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure across Kyiv.
Widespread destruction across Kyiv
The overnight bombardment triggered explosions and fires across multiple districts of the Ukrainian capital. Residential buildings, warehouses, a supermarket, a student dormitory and sections of Kyiv’s metro infrastructure sustained damage during the attack.
Emergency services rushed to the affected locations to rescue residents trapped under debris and extinguish fires. Images released by Ukrainian authorities showed damaged apartment buildings, shattered windows and emergency personnel working through the rubble.
Officials confirmed that at least one civilian was killed, while 16 others sustained injuries of varying severity.
Ukraine faces air-defence shortages
The latest strike has highlighted Ukraine’s growing shortage of advanced air-defence systems, particularly Patriot missile interceptors used to destroy incoming ballistic missiles.
President Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to Ukraine’s international partners for additional Patriot systems and interceptor missiles, warning that dwindling supplies have left several cities increasingly vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Although international partners have discussed expanding the production of Patriot interceptors, new supplies are not expected to become available immediately.
Russia intensifies missile campaign
The overnight assault ranks among the largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Military analysts believe Moscow has increased its use of ballistic missiles and drones in recent months in an effort to overwhelm Ukraine’s air-defence network while targeting strategic infrastructure and urban centres.
Russia has maintained that its strikes are aimed at military-related facilities, while Ukrainian authorities say civilian infrastructure continues to bear the brunt of the attacks.
Fighting continues beyond Kyiv
The escalation was not limited to the capital. Separate Russian strikes reportedly killed four people near Kharkiv and another person in the Sumy region, while Ukraine continued launching long-range drone attacks against targets inside Russia.
The exchange of missile and drone strikes underscores the continuing intensity of the conflict despite intermittent diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing hostilities.
War shows no signs of easing
The latest attack comes amid growing challenges for Ukraine, including battlefield pressures, internal military restructuring and continued appeals for additional Western military assistance.
As emergency crews continue clearing debris in Kyiv, officials have warned that Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attacks are likely to continue, keeping millions of Ukrainians under the constant threat of aerial bombardment.
