KYIV — Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest strike on the city this year, Ukrainian officials said.
The attack involved 74 missiles and nearly 500 drones, according to Ukraine's air force. Air defences intercepted many of the incoming weapons, but strikes hit residential areas and other sites across the capital, causing widespread damage to around 130 buildings.
Kyiv city authorities and emergency services reported the death toll, with scores more people wounded. Rescue operations continued into Thursday as crews cleared debris from damaged apartment buildings and other infrastructure.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it carried out a "massive attack" using long-range, high-precision weapons in retaliation for recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault and vowed a strong response. The barrage came hours after he had warned of an impending large-scale Russian operation.
This was one of the largest aerial assaults on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Officials described it as involving an unusually high number of ballistic missiles, which complicated interception efforts amid reported shortages of air defence munitions.
The situation remained fluid on Thursday, with casualty figures still being verified as search and rescue operations continued. No further immediate details on the full extent of damage or additional casualties were available.
