At least 13 people were killed and over 85 others wounded after a relentless 11-hour Russian missile and drone barrage battered Ukraine’s capital overnight on Thursday just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was orchestrating a massive assault.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed the mounting toll, stating that 13 people had been killed in the assault. Emergency crews worked continuously through the night to reach survivors trapped inside heavily hit structures.
The expansive overnight bombardment triggered widespread destruction across 30 distinct locations in the capital. The casualties included at least one child, alongside multiple emergency personnel who were injured when an ambulance substation was hit.
“There have been very significant direct hits on residential buildings, where, unfortunately, the bodies of the deceased are being recovered from under the rubble,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration.
The Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged the large-scale operation, stating that its military launched a “massive strike using high-precision, long-range weapons”, including drones, targeting military and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions.
However, Ukrainian authorities disputed Kremlin’s version and presented evidence to show that the strikes intentionally flattened civilian neighbourhoods and non-military sites.
Following the devastating assault, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha took to the social media to issue an urgent appeal to international allies, pleading for immediate deliveries of air defence systems and missiles, increased sanctions pressure and critical energy assistance.
In a post on X, the Foreign Minister fiercely condemned the strikes as grave war crimes, warning that the initial death toll could continue to climb as search operations proceed.
Sybiha firmly pushed back against any attempts to rationalise Kremlin’s aggression, calling it “immoral” to justify Russian atrocities as retaliation for Ukraine’s long-range strikes.
He underscored that under Article 51 of the UN Charter, a clear distinction must be made between an illegal aggressor and a nation defending its sovereignty. He said Ukraine has every right to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia to protect its people.
“Do not delay decisions on air defence for Ukraine. This is our main request to our partners after Kyiv suffered a night of horror. At least 10 people have been killed in Russia’s attack on Kyiv. The toll may further rise. Russia targeted residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. War criminal Putin can only wage a vile and terroristic war against civilians, women and children because in his war against Ukraine's defence forces he cannot achieve a single result,” Sybiha wrote on X.
Speaking in Ireland before returning to Ukraine, Zelensky said, “Putin wants to keep fighting. That is why he must face conditions that make it impossible for him to keep this war going.”
Also read: Ukraine's drone assault ignites major oil refinery in Russia
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