In a significant escalation early Monday, Russia executed a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuries to 46 others, including five children, according to Ukrainian officials. The assault left considerable destruction across the Ukrainian capital, with rescue efforts ongoing and authorities cautioning that the number of fatalities could increase.
The overnight offensive led to substantial damage to numerous residential buildings throughout Kyiv. Emergency services reported that 15 apartment complexes suffered damage or were completely destroyed. Among the hardest hit was a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, where rescue teams are actively working to extract individuals trapped beneath the debris.
Additionally, another fatality was reported in the Bucha district, located northwest of Kyiv. This attack closely follows a previous major strike by Russia, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people in Kyiv, marking one of the most lethal attacks on the city this year.
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged conducting what it termed a “massive” strike, employing long-range missiles and drones. The ministry asserted that the operation targeted military, energy, and airfield infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions.
Amid ongoing hostilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the situation, stating that combat operations are still active around the strategically important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. He dismissed Russian assertions that the town had fallen under their control, underscoring the continued resistance by Ukrainian forces.