At least 20 people have been killed and dozens more injured overnight in Kyiv, according to local authorities, after Russia launched its latest massive wave of drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
As dawn broke on Thursday, fires were burning across Kyiv, with strikes or debris hitting residential buildings in several districts and a hotel on one of the main central boulevards. The death toll could rise, as emergency services reported 86 people injured, 70 of whom have been hospitalized.
Loud explosions shook the capital for hours as waves of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles approached, while Ukrainian air defenses tried to shoot them down. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, wrote on Telegram that at one site, the first to sixth floors of an apartment building had collapsed after a direct hit. At another location, people were pulled from the rubble after part of a block of flats collapsed.
Russia regularly launches combined missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital, and there had been speculation for days that another major attack was coming. On Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians it could happen that night. “I am asking all our people to be extra careful, take care of yourselves and your children, and use shelters. This is very important,” the president said during a visit to Dublin.
Thousands of people took shelter in metro stations across the capital, paying renewed attention to the strikes after more than four years of full-scale war, due to the severity of recent mass attacks. In late May, Russia warned foreign diplomats to leave the city, saying it planned to intensify strikes on “decision-making centers” there.
Russia is facing fuel shortages after a Ukrainian campaign of long-range drone strikes on its oil refineries. Several Russian regions have been forced to introduce petrol rationing, while in occupied Crimea, Russian authorities have declared a state of emergency.
Ukrainian officials said they intended to keep up the pressure on Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 and has served as a logistical hub for the Russian occupation of parts of southeastern Ukraine since 2022. On Thursday morning, the governor of Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region said one person had been killed in a drone strike on industrial facilities there.
The Russian defense ministry said it had used weapons launched from air, land, and sea during Thursday’s attacks on Ukraine, and claimed it was in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes. Moscow said it had targeted military facilities and energy infrastructure in the attacks, which also hit several regions outside the capital.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, who is on a working visit to Japan, said on Thursday morning that it was “immoral” to claim the strikes were retaliation for Ukraine’s attacks on Russia.
Sybiha wrote on X: “In this war, there is an aggressor and a country defending itself. Russia has no right to make any strikes against Ukraine, while Ukraine has every right to respond, defend itself from the aggressor, and strike any legitimate military targets in Russia. Do not equate an aggressor with a country defending itself from aggression.”
He repeated Kyiv’s urgent plea for Ukraine’s allies to provide more air defenses, saying the capital had “suffered a night of horror.”
Klitschko announced that Friday would be a day of mourning in Kyiv. He said damage had been done.The attacks were recorded across the entire city of about 3 million people, and some buildings were smashed. Ukraine’s neighbor Poland, a NATO and EU member, scrambled fighter jets as a precaution. Finland also briefly set up a temporary no-fly zone in the eastern Gulf of Finland, its defense forces said on X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the reported event At least 20 people have died after Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv
General Basic Questions
1 What happened in Kyiv
Russia launched a largescale attack on Kyiv using drones and missiles The attack resulted in at least 20 deaths and significant damage
2 When did this attack happen
The attack occurred overnight and into the early morning hours as is typical for these largescale assaults
3 Why did Russia attack Kyiv
Russia has been targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities throughout the war to damage infrastructure military targets and morale
4 How many people died
At least 20 people were killed The number may rise as rescue teams search through rubble
5 Were many people injured
Yes In addition to the fatalities dozens of people were injured and taken to hospitals
6 What types of weapons were used
Russia used a combination of drones and various types of missiles including cruise and ballistic missiles
Advanced Technical Questions
7 Why are drones and missiles used together in an attack
This is called a combined strike Drones are often used first to overwhelm and distract air defenses allowing missiles to slip through and hit their targets
8 Did Ukraines air defense systems work
Yes Ukraines air defense shot down many of the drones and missiles However with such a massive barrage some inevitably got through
9 What kind of damage was reported
Residential buildings a childrens hospital and critical infrastructure were hit causing fires collapsed structures and power outages
10 Why is Kyiv attacked so often
Kyiv is the capital and political heart of Ukraine Attacking it disrupts government operations damages morale and forces Ukraine to keep its best air defenses around the capital
Practical Safety Questions
11 How do people in Kyiv stay safe during these attacks
They follow air raid alerts and go to bomb shelters underground metro stations or basements Many also have go bags ready with essentials
12 What should you do if you hear an air raid siren in Kyiv
Immediately stop what you are doing go to the nearest shelter or a designated safe space
