KYIV — Russian forces launched a large-scale overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens more in one of the deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent months, Ukrainian authorities said, as emergency crews searched damaged residential buildings for survivors.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service said rescue operations continued through the day after missiles and drones struck multiple districts of the capital, causing widespread destruction to apartment blocks, public infrastructure and commercial buildings. Officials said the casualty toll could rise as search teams cleared debris.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying Russia had fired more than 70 missiles and nearly 500 drones during the overnight barrage, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of the assault. He said a residential apartment building was among the structures hit and called for additional international air defense support.
The Ukrainian Air Force said air defense units intercepted many incoming missiles and drones but confirmed that several ballistic missiles and attack drones reached their targets, damaging dozens of locations across the capital. Authorities said thousands of residents sought shelter overnight in Kyiv's subway stations and other protected facilities as air raid sirens sounded for hours.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the bombardment as one of the most severe attacks on the city since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Fires broke out at multiple sites, while emergency workers and volunteers searched collapsed buildings and evacuated residents from damaged neighborhoods.
Russia's Defense Ministry said it had carried out a "massive attack" using long-range precision weapons and drones against what it described as military, energy and defense-related facilities in and around Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. Moscow said the strikes were conducted in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and infrastructure. Reuters could not independently verify the competing battlefield claims.
The latest assault came as fighting continued across the front line and amid intensified long-range strikes by both sides. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly appealed to Western allies for additional air defense systems, arguing that stronger defenses are needed to protect cities from increasingly frequent combined missile and drone attacks.
Rescue operations remained underway late Friday, with Ukrainian authorities continuing to assess the full extent of the damage and update casualty figures as crews searched the affected areas.
