Russia launched a massive overnight drone assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring 13 others, according to local officials. The deadly attack, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, targeted multiple districts in the city, igniting fires and spreading panic among residents.
Authorities reported that drone wreckage struck the roof of a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, one of six districts affected by the bombardment. Kyiv’s military administration head, Tymur Tkachenko, confirmed widespread destruction. “Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning,” he stated on Telegram. He later added, “These people were killed by the Russians. This is a terrible loss.”
The Ukrainian air force had warned of a possible aerial and ballistic missile threat prior to the assault. Social media footage, still unverified, captured dramatic explosions lighting up the night sky as air defense systems attempted to intercept the incoming drones.
Thursday’s attack follows what Ukrainian officials described as the largest aerial offensive of the war on Tuesday night, when 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles struck cities across the country in successive waves. In the eastern town of Kostiantynivka, close to the frontline, three people were killed in a separate Russian airstrike late Wednesday, Ukraine’s emergency service (DSNS) reported.
The intensification of attacks comes amid renewed military aid from the United States. Reuters confirmed that Washington resumed arms shipments to Ukraine, including critical air defense systems, after a brief pause. The decision follows pointed remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shown increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said Tuesday. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Despite frequent communications between Trump and Putin, no meaningful steps toward a ceasefire have emerged. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Trump’s remarks, saying Moscow remains “pretty calm” and that Trump’s rhetoric is known to be “quite harsh.”
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and shows no sign of abating, with Ukrainian cities continuing to face deadly bombardments.
