At least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured in a devastating overnight barrage of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in one of the deadliest attacks on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion began over three years ago. Ukrainian officials described the assault as a calculated act of terror aimed at overwhelming the city’s defenses and terrorizing civilians.
According to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Russia launched a staggering 440 drones and 32 missiles targeting various parts of the country. Kyiv bore the brunt of the assault, with 27 districts hit and a ballistic missile striking a nine-storey residential building, collapsing entire sections and trapping residents beneath rubble. The strikes lasted more than nine hours, forcing citizens to seek shelter in underground bunkers from midnight to sunrise.
“Waking up in an utter nightmare,” Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko posted on X (formerly Twitter), describing scenes of destruction and despair. Emergency rescue operations were complicated by repeated air raid sirens, further delaying efforts to locate and save survivors amid the debris.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as “pure terrorism,” directly accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of perpetuating violence “solely because he can afford to continue this war.” Zelensky also criticized the global community’s inaction, stating, “It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry claimed its air defense units had intercepted 147 Ukrainian drones overnight, highlighting the ongoing tit-for-tat nature of the conflict. Additional drone strikes hit the southern port city of Odesa, killing one and injuring at least 10 others.
The fresh wave of violence comes amid a broader escalation, as hopes for diplomatic breakthroughs remain dim. Zelensky had intended to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Canada to rally strategic support, but Trump abruptly cut short his trip due to rising tensions in the Middle East. The missed opportunity is a setback for Ukraine’s leadership, which was seeking renewed U.S. backing for military and humanitarian efforts.
As Kyiv mourns its dead and continues its rescue operations, the war shows no signs of abating.
