Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least nine people and wounded dozens in Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday, as Moscow and Kyiv continue to intensify long-range attacks
Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least nine people and wounded dozens in Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday, as Moscow and Kyiv continue to intensify long-range attacks.
The latest Russian bombardment hit several parts of the Ukrainian capital, damaging residential buildings, warehouses, a medical facility and an educational institution. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said eight people had been killed in the capital and 33 others injured.
One more person was killed in the nearby Brovary district of the wider Kyiv region, while another person was wounded, regional authorities said. An industrial facility was also damaged in the attack, triggering a fire that emergency teams were working to contain.
Missiles target Kyiv, Nato neighbours respond
Ukraine’s air force had earlier warned residents of incoming Russian Kalibr cruise missiles in the Kyiv region. The missiles were reported to be moving towards the capital as air raid alerts were issued.
The overnight strikes also triggered defensive measures in neighbouring Nato countries. Poland’s military said it deployed aircraft and activated air-defence systems to protect its airspace, particularly areas close to the Ukrainian border.
Romania also reported heightened activity near its border with Ukraine. Its defence ministry said radar systems detected aerial targets overnight, prompting the deployment of two Spanish fighter jets operating under Nato missions, along with a Romanian military helicopter.
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Romanian authorities later said a drone had entered the country’s airspace near Galati before crashing in an unpopulated area in Tulcea county. The incident added to concerns among Ukraine’s neighbours about the spillover risks from the expanding use of missiles and drones in the war.
Moscow reports large Ukrainian drone attack
At the same time, Russia reported a major Ukrainian drone assault targeting Moscow and surrounding areas.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said around 250 drones had headed towards the Moscow region between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Russian air-defence forces destroyed most of them before they reached the capital, he said.
Sobyanin said 28 drones were brought down over the Moscow region, while many others were intercepted farther away from Moscow.
Neither side’s claims about the scale and impact of the overnight attacks could be independently verified.
Long-range attacks intensify
The latest strikes come as Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks deep inside each other’s territory. Both sides have increasingly relied on missiles and drones to hit military, industrial and infrastructure targets far from the front lines.
For Ukraine, striking targets inside Russia has become an important part of its strategy to put pressure on Moscow, including ahead of possible negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.
For Russia, repeated attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities have kept pressure on the Ukrainian government and civilian population.
The escalation has also increased the risks for neighbouring Nato countries, with Poland and Romania repeatedly having to monitor their airspace during major Russian attacks on Ukraine.