In a significant escalation, Russia unleashed a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuring 46 others, including five children, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack left a trail of destruction, severely damaging residential areas across the capital. Rescue operations are ongoing, with authorities cautioning that the casualty figures could increase.
The overnight offensive led to considerable damage, with emergency services reporting that at least 15 apartment buildings were either damaged or destroyed. Among the hardest-hit areas was a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, where rescue teams are actively working to extricate people trapped under the debris. Additionally, another fatality was recorded in the Bucha district, located northwest of Kyiv.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the execution of what it termed a “massive” strike involving long-range missiles and drones, stating that the operation targeted military, energy, and airfield infrastructure within Kyiv and other regions in Ukraine. This assault comes on the heels of another significant Russian attack that occurred just days earlier, which claimed the lives of at least 27 individuals in Kyiv, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the city this year.
Concurrently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country, particularly around the strategic town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. Zelenskyy refuted Russian claims that their forces had captured the town, asserting that fighting in the area continues.