Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 13 people and injured dozens across Kyiv overnight after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a large-scale assault. Rescue teams continued searching damaged apartment blocks as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced plans for further sanctions against Russia.
Russia launched one of its largest air attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent weeks during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, targeting Kyiv with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and hundreds of drones.
Ukrainian officials said at least 13 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Local authorities later placed the number of wounded at more than 80, including children, as rescue operations continued and emergency crews searched collapsed buildings for survivors.
The attack struck residential districts across the city. Officials reported damage at dozens of locations, including apartment blocks, medical facilities, hotels and other civilian infrastructure.
One nine-storey apartment building collapsed after a direct hit, trapping residents beneath the rubble. Firefighters, police officers and volunteers worked through the morning to remove debris while ambulances transported the injured to hospitals.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said several people remained trapped inside damaged buildings.
The head of Kyiv’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian neighbourhoods.
“The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians,” he said.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said rescue workers had already pulled dozens of people from damaged buildings, with operations continuing at several locations.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones during the overnight assault. According to the military, air defences intercepted or disabled most of the incoming weapons, including 48 missiles and 476 drones.
The military said 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones reached targets at 33 locations despite interception efforts.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed it had carried out what it described as a “massive attack”. The ministry said its forces targeted military sites, energy facilities and air bases around Kyiv and in other Ukrainian regions. Moscow stated the operation came in response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine rejected that account, saying residential buildings and civilian facilities suffered the main damage in the capital.
The strikes came only hours after Zelensky interrupted a visit to Ireland following intelligence reports warning of a large Russian attack.
Speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin, Zelensky said Ukraine had received information indicating Russia was preparing another large assault.
“I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families,” Zelensky said before returning to Ukraine.
He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of rejecting efforts to end the war through negotiations.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the overnight bombardment as “a night of horror” in a post on X. He warned the death toll could rise as rescuers continued searching damaged buildings.
Sybiha urged Ukraine’s allies to strengthen air defence support and increase sanctions against Russia, saying statements of condemnation were no longer enough.
Following the attack, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that she would push for additional sanctions against Russia.
“The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions there must be,” Kallas wrote on X.
Russian regional officials also reported separate Ukrainian drone attacks. Authorities in the Nizhny Novgorod region said one person was killed and an industrial facility sustained damage. Officials in Russia’s Belgorod region also reported one death after a drone struck a residential home.
HT