Russia launched a combined overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions in the early hours of Thursday, prompting air raid alerts across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Air Force warned of a “threat of ballistic weapons,” while the Kyiv City Military Administration urged residents of the capital to immediately go to shelters and remain there until the all-clear.
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Kyiv City Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said the capital was facing a combined attack involving numerous Russian UAVs and possible missile launches. Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported air defense activity as the assault continued.
According to the Air Force, Russian missiles were moving toward Kremenchuk, Yahotyn, Kyiv and Cherkasy, while new groups of Russian drones were detected over Sumy region heading west.
Explosions and air defense activity were reported in Kyiv and the surrounding region during the attack.
Initial reports indicated damage in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district, where falling drone debris caused a fire on the roof of a five-story residential building. Debris from a downed drone was also reported on a roadway in the Holosiivskyi district.
Emergency services were deployed to the affected sites, while the full scale of damage and possible casualties was still being assessed.
The overnight missile offensive followed one of Russia’s largest drone attacks of the war. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 892 drones during the previous night and daytime waves on Wednesday, including 753 strike drones during the daytime assault alone. Ukrainian air defenses downed or jammed 710 of them.
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The daytime barrage struck multiple regions across Ukraine, with populated areas and critical infrastructure among the targets. Reports said the attack killed at least six people and injured dozens, including children.
Ukrainian officials said the scale and timing of the assault suggested a deliberate attempt to exhaust air defense ammunition and monitoring systems before launching heavier missile waves.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, railway networks, defense-related facilities and administrative sites during combined attacks.