At least 15 individuals have been confirmed dead, with many others injured, following a series of extensive Russian air strikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, overnight. This assault marks one of the most severe bombardments since the onset of Russia's large-scale offensive over three years ago.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that as many as 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched against various parts of Ukraine during this assault. Russian defense authorities claimed to have intercepted 147 of the Ukrainian drones. The onslaught on Kyiv spanned more than nine hours, pushing residents to seek refuge in underground shelters well into the early hours of the morning.
The strikes caused significant infrastructure damage, including a ballistic missile hitting a nine-storey apartment building, affecting 27 of Kyiv’s districts. Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko described the scene as one filled with chaos and destruction, stating, "Waking up in utter nightmare: people trapped under rubble and full buildings collapsed." Rescue operations are ongoing, with crews working tirelessly to extract individuals trapped in the debris.
The capital experienced loud explosions alongside the sound of machine guns from Ukrainian air defense units attempting to fend off the drone attacks. The arrival of further air raid sirens disrupted rescue efforts, complicating the situation for emergency workers.
In recent weeks, Russia has markedly stepped up its aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities, adopting tactics that employ numerous drones and decoys to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. In response, Ukraine has also conducted its own strikes, though dialogue aimed at achieving a ceasefire or a significant resolution to the conflict has stalled.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest Russian attacks as "pure terrorism." He asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin is executing these large-scale strikes purely because he is capable of continuing the aggression. "It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this," he remarked.
As drone strikes simultaneously targeted the southern city of Odesa, claiming another life and injuring at least ten further individuals, Zelensky's plans for discussions with US President Donald Trump on military support at the G7 summit were interrupted, further complicating Ukraine's ongoing efforts to garner international backing amidst the escalating crisis.
