A heavy Russian missile and drone attack has killed at least 15 people in and around Kyiv, marking one of the most intense aerial strikes on Ukraine's capital since the war began.
Vitali Klitschko, the city's mayor, said homes, a school, and a children's medical center were among the buildings damaged in the overnight assault, which started around midnight and continued into the early afternoon.
Klitschko reported 15 people killed in the city, while other officials said 33 were injured.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described it as a massive attack, saying, "The Russians had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure."
Explosions were clearly heard from the city center within minutes of the first warning at 11:51 PM on Wednesday, earlier than the usual timing of Russian missile strikes. Another wave of attacks followed after 6 AM on Thursday, with drone threats continuing throughout the morning.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, along with 168 drones, in the overnight attack. Later, it reported shooting down 41 of 46 cruise missiles and 145 drones, though none of the high-speed ballistic missiles, the number of which was not specified, were intercepted.
A shortage of Patriot interceptors means Ukraine is struggling to defend against high-speed ballistic missiles, which can arrive within minutes of an air raid warning. Earlier this month, the air force decided to stop announcing how many ballistic missiles had been launched, citing security concerns.
Eight people were reported killed in the Solomianskyi district, west of the city center. A multistory apartment building in a residential area was hit, and top-floor flats were destroyed, killing two people, according to rescuers.
An empty building, sometimes used informally as a shelter, in the middle of a car park was destroyed in a strike around midnight. No deaths were reported, though several cars were burned out and bricks from the building scattered several meters across the nearby open space.
Oleksandr, a car park attendant on duty during the attack, escaped with minor injuries. The next morning, still in shock, covered in cuts, and with his shorts torn into strips, he waited by his destroyed booth and said he couldn't remember what happened to him right after the blast.
Andriy, a 57-year-old driver, said he first heard an explosion nearby and was in his vehicle when the strike on the building in the car park happened. He believes his life was saved by the tinted plastic sheeting he had stuck on his car windows. "I was only scratched on the back of my head," he added.
There was no sign of military or industrial activity in the area. The car park was used by residents of nearby apartment blocks, and the non-residential buildings were mostly unused.
Zelenskyy called for a global response to the attacks. "While Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, such strikes do not always receive the response they should. And as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistic defense, Russia will not consider peace seriously," he said on social media.
An attack in the Brovary district, in the wider Kyiv region, killed one man and wounded another, according to regional governor Tymur Tkachenko. "One industrial facility has been damaged. All relevant services are on site, working to extinguish the fire.""Put out the fire," he said.
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Warehouses in Boryspil, east of Kyiv, were also hit, including one run by the Ukrainian Red Cross, according to Ukraine's prime minister, Sergiy Koretsky.
Both sides have been stepping up long-range attacks while air defences remain stretched. Ukraine has struck oil refineries and warehouses near Moscow using newly developed cruise missiles and drones, while Russia has intensified its assaults on Kyiv, relying heavily on powerful ballistic missiles.
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A rescuer evacuates a woman from an apartment building in Kyiv on Thursday. Photograph: Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters
The Ukrainian air force reported that the attack involved Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles, as well as Iskander and North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles, and Shahed drones.
Earlier, Ukraine's air force had warned of Russian Kalibr missiles passing over the village of Kaharlyk and heading toward the capital. Eight of these missiles were launched from warships in the Black Sea, but all were shot down.
Romania's defence ministry said radar systems detected aerial targets near the Ukrainian border overnight, leading to the scrambling of two Spanish fighter jets deployed on Nato missions and a Romanian air force helicopter. The ministry added that a drone entered Romanian airspace near Galaศi before crashing in an unpopulated area in Tulcea county.
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Poland's military command said it had mobilised aircraft and activated air defences to protect Polish airspace, especially in areas bordering Ukraine.
Russia also reported a major Ukrainian drone attack. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said 250 drones had flown toward the Moscow region between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and that most had been destroyed well away from the capital.
On Wednesday, Moscow confirmed that Russia was having to import refined petroleum products to try to stabilise supply after Ukraine's attacks on its refineries. The Reuters news agency, using industry contacts and market data, established that a tanker from India had recently arrived and unloaded, with additional supplies being sourced from east Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the recent heavy Russian bombardment of Kyiv written in a natural tone with clear direct answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly happened in Kyiv
Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks on the city of Kyiv The bombardment hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen people and injuring many others
2 Why is Russia attacking Kyiv
Russia has been targeting Kyiv throughout the war as a way to put pressure on the Ukrainian government disrupt daily life and try to break the morale of the Ukrainian people It is also a strategic target as the capital and political center of the country
3 How did the attacks happen
The attacks were a combination of different weapons Reports indicate Russia used a mix of ballistic missiles and explosive drones launched in waves making it difficult for air defenses to intercept all of them
4 Were there any warnings before the attack
Yes typically air raid sirens sound across the city before and during such attacks warning residents to seek shelter The Ukrainian Air Force also issues alerts on their official channels advising people to go to bomb shelters
5 Is this a new thing or has this been happening for a while
Russia has launched periodic largescale attacks on Kyiv since the start of the fullscale invasion in 2022 However the frequency and intensity of these attacks have varied This particular attack was notable for its high number of casualties which is higher than usual
AdvancedLevel Questions
6 What kind of air defense systems does Ukraine use to protect Kyiv
Ukraine uses a layered air defense network This includes Westernsupplied systems like the American Patriot and NASAMS as well as German IRIST and older Sovietera systems These are designed to shoot down incoming missiles and drones at different altitudes
7 Why did so many missiles get through the air defense this time
There are a few reasons Russia often uses a tactic of saturation launching more missiles and drones than the defense systems can handle at once They also use decoys and complex flight paths Additionally ballistic missiles are much harder to intercept than slower cruise missiles or drones because of their speed and trajectory
8 What is the difference between a missile and a drone attack in this context
Drones are slower
