KYIV — Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, killing at least 20 people, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Waves of ballistic missiles and drones struck residential areas across multiple districts of the city, causing fires and damaging apartment buildings, authorities reported. Emergency services were searching rubble for survivors as rescue operations continued into the day.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia fired 74 missiles and around 496 drones in the combined attack, most of them aimed at Kyiv. Ukrainian defenses intercepted the majority of the incoming threats, but some ballistic missiles and drones got through, hitting civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and emergency services reported multiple deaths and dozens of injuries, including children, from strikes on residential buildings. At least one nine-story apartment block was partially destroyed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry described the operation as a strike using high-precision, long-range weapons targeting Ukrainian energy and military infrastructure. It gave no immediate comment on reported civilian casualties.
The assault came amid heightened tensions after recent Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned earlier that Moscow was preparing a large-scale attack.
Casualty figures were still being verified as rescue teams worked through damaged sites. The death toll could rise, officials said.
This is a developing story.
