KYIV — Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, killing at least 25 people in the deadliest strike on the city this year, officials said on Friday.
Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia fired nearly 500 drones and more than 70 missiles in a prolonged assault that targeted Kyiv and other areas, with waves of attacks lasting several hours. Most projectiles were intercepted by air defenses, but impacts caused widespread damage to residential buildings, sparking fires and leaving scores injured.
Kyiv city officials and emergency services attributed the casualty figures to the strike. The death toll stood at least 25, with more than 90 people wounded, according to local administration head Tymur Tkachenko and other reports. Rescue operations continued at multiple sites, including collapsed apartment buildings.
The Ukrainian Air Force described the assault as one of the largest combined attacks of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned shortly beforehand of an impending large-scale Russian operation.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it conducted a “massive attack” using high-precision weapons in response to Ukrainian actions, though it did not provide specific details on the Kyiv strike.
As of Friday, search and rescue efforts were ongoing amid debris clearance in affected districts. Kyiv authorities declared a day of mourning. Details on the full extent of damage and exact casualty numbers were still being verified.
The situation remains fluid as emergency services assess further impacts.
