KYIV, Ukraine (FN) — Russia launched one of its deadliest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine this year, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens more in strikes that hit residential buildings, businesses, and public facilities across the capital.
Ukrainian officials said the toll could rise as rescue workers continue to search through rubble. The overnight assault involved 74 missiles and nearly 500 drones fired in waves lasting several hours, according to Ukraine’s air force. A nine-story apartment block was among the buildings destroyed, while fires broke out across multiple districts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes as deliberate attacks on civilians and renewed calls for Western allies to deliver promised air defense systems. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, described the assault as the most massive attack on the capital since the war began and declared a day of mourning.
The Kremlin insisted its forces targeted military sites, though civilian casualties were extensive. Russian officials said the strikes were retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian infrastructure.
The attack highlights Ukraine’s growing air defense shortages and underscores the intensifying aerial war between the two countries. International observers warn that the conflict, Europe’s deadliest since World War II, continues to destabilize the region and deepen humanitarian suffering.
Western governments are expected to face renewed pressure to accelerate military aid deliveries, particularly advanced air defense systems, as Ukraine struggles to protect its cities from repeated large-scale bombardments.
