Kyiv: Ukraine’s capital was left reeling after a massive overnight assault by Russian forces that combined drones and missiles in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months. At least four people, including two children, were killed, and more than twenty others sustained injuries as residential neighborhoods bore the brunt of the strikes.
According to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the attack unfolded in waves, with drones swarming from multiple directions before missile barrages followed. Authorities confirmed that several residential areas were hit, setting off fires and causing widespread destruction. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three of the injured were children, underscoring the civilian toll of the assault.
In the Darnytskyi district of the capital, a five-story apartment block partially collapsed after taking a direct hit. Rescue teams worked through the night and into the morning, desperately searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency services also battled flames in more than twenty different locations across Kyiv, where explosions triggered secondary fires and panic among residents.
“This was not a random strike. It was a coordinated, deliberate attempt to inflict maximum damage on civilian life,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration. He described the operation as a typical Russian tactic of combining drones and missiles to overwhelm defenses and spread terror among civilians.
Eyewitnesses reported terrifying scenes of chaos: the wail of air raid sirens, buildings shuddering under impacts, and entire apartment blocks engulfed in flames. Video footage circulating online, though not yet independently verified, showed high-rises ablaze, with residents rushing out into the dark streets as emergency crews scrambled to reach those trapped inside.
The latest attack marks a grim escalation in Moscow’s campaign against Kyiv, targeting not just military assets but the very heart of civilian life. With rescue efforts still ongoing, officials warned that the death toll could rise further in the coming hours. The strikes have once again highlighted the vulnerability of urban centers in Ukraine and the resilience of civilians forced to endure repeated nights of destruction.