Russia Launches One of the Heaviest Strikes on Kyiv, Killing 4 and Injuring 14
Ukraine endured one of the most intense air assaults since the start of the war, with Russian missiles and drones striking the capital Kyiv and surrounding regions throughout the night. Officials confirmed at least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, lost their lives, while 14 others were injured in the massive attack.
Wave of Missiles and Drones
The assault began late Saturday and lasted into Sunday morning, prompting widespread air raid alerts across Ukraine. According to the Kyiv military administration, Russia launched waves of drones and missiles, including advanced “Kinzhal” hypersonic weapons.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said initial reports confirmed three deaths, later revised to four after another victim was found. More than 15 sites across the city suffered damage, with drone strikes hitting multi-storey apartment blocks, sparking fires in courtyards and damaging vehicles.
“The consequences of the attack are already known in the Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts,” Tkachenko said on Telegram. “Some locations include car fires in courtyards and destruction to residential buildings.”
Zelenskyy Condemns ‘Brutal’ Strikes
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the barrage as “brutal,” saying the onslaught lasted more than 12 hours and involved nearly 500 strike drones alongside dozens of missiles.
“In the morning, Russian-Iranian Shaheds were again in our sky,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing and deserves only the harshest pressure from the world. We will continue to strike back to deprive Russia of these opportunities and force it to diplomacy.”
The Ukrainian leader urged the United States, Europe, and global allies, including the G7 and G20, to deliver a strong and united response. “The time for decisive action has long come,” he added.
Kyiv Residents Flee to Shelters
As explosions echoed across the capital, terrified residents rushed to underground metro stations that double as bomb shelters. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the situation as a “massive assault” and pleaded with citizens to remain in safe zones.
“At least five were injured in the early hours,” Klitschko said on Telegram, later updating the figure to 14, with one person in critical condition.
Local media reported dozens of apartments destroyed or heavily damaged, with heartbreaking stories emerging from survivors. One school teacher was seen searching the rubble, desperate to know if a missing student had been killed. A mother from the same district said her son anxiously borrowed her phone to check whether his best friend was among the dead.
International Fallout
The strikes sent ripples beyond Ukraine’s borders. Poland temporarily closed airspace near its southeastern cities of Lublin and Rzeszow, scrambling NATO jets in coordination with allied forces to safeguard its skies.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of targeting civilians directly, calling for tougher international measures. “Hundreds of drones and missiles destroyed residential buildings and killed civilians,” he wrote on X. “We must maximise the cost of further escalation for Russia.”
Neighbouring regions also came under fire. In Zaporizhia, the governor reported at least four people injured after missiles struck residential zones and critical infrastructure.
Destruction and Civilian Toll
Independent monitors and media outlets described the barrage as among the heaviest to hit Kyiv since the war began in February 2022. The Kyiv Post noted that while the full scale of the aerial attack was still being assessed, it ranked as “one of the most intense and destructive strikes” witnessed so far.
Anti-aircraft guns and missile defense systems lit up the night sky, intercepting many of the incoming threats, but the sheer volume of drones and missiles overwhelmed the defenses. Debris from downed drones set cars ablaze and tore through homes, leaving entire families homeless.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said the strikes once again highlighted Moscow’s campaign against civilians. “Once again, residential buildings and infrastructure are being hit. Once again, it is a war against civilians,” he said.
Yermak stressed that Ukraine would respond militarily, but he also urged the West to intensify economic sanctions on Moscow. “The West’s economic blows against Russia must also be stronger,” he declared.
A Country Under Constant Siege
Deadly crushes of missiles and drone attacks have become a grim reality for Ukrainians, but the scale of this latest strike shocked even seasoned observers. Many residents who thought they had adapted to months of bombardments found themselves shaken by the sheer intensity of the assault.
With much of the country’s energy and housing infrastructure already damaged from previous attacks, the latest barrage raises fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.
For families mourning the loss of children and loved ones, the war’s brutality feels more personal than ever. As one grieving parent told local reporters outside a Kyiv hospital: “We are losing our children, our homes, our lives. How much longer can this go on?”