Russia unleashes its largest assault on Kyiv, killing at least 13, mayor reports
Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia carried out its most powerful attack on the Ukrainian capital in months overnight Thursday, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Explosions rattled the city for hours as air defenses struggled to intercept a barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
Ukraine's air force reported that Russia used 74 missiles and 496 drones in the assault, according to Reuters. The strikes hit residential buildings and civilian infrastructure across at least 30 locations, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 20 residential buildings were damaged, and the Emergency Service deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 vehicles, including a helicopter, to respond.
The attack comes as Russia has stepped up air raids on Kyiv in recent weeks, even as Ukraine continues its own long-range drone strikes on Russian military sites and energy facilities, causing fuel shortages and disrupting supply lines inside Russia. The escalation reflects a broader pattern of mutual strikes aimed at military and critical infrastructure, with each side accusing the other of targeting civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who issued early warnings that sent many residents into metro shelters, used the assault to renew his appeal for air defense support. He asked Washington for a license to produce Patriot missiles, calling such systems “an absolute necessity,” according to AFP, citing a social media post.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the night as a “night of horror” and urged allies to urgently supply more air defense systems and missiles. He warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue searching through debris. Sybiha also rejected any justification of the Russian strikes as retaliation for Ukraine's long-range attacks, asserting that Ukraine was acting in self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter while Russia remained the aggressor.
Mayor Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters, calling the attack a “furious enemy assault.” In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a paramedic was left in critical condition, and a hotel and two five-story residential buildings were damaged, according to the Emergency Service. In the Desnianskyi district, people were trapped in a damaged nine-story building. Fires broke out on the roof of a 16-story building in the Holosiivskyi district and in two private homes in the Sviatoshynskyi district, where debris also trapped residents.
In the Darnytskyi district, six floors of a nine-story building collapsed, and another five-story residence was damaged. Tkachenko reported partial destruction of a residential building in Desnianskyi, fires near two locations in the Pecherskyi district, and a blaze near an administrative building in the Solomianskyi district. Damage was also recorded in the Obolonskyi and Podilskyi districts, while the Kyiv Regional Administration said five regional districts were affected, with three injuries in the Bucha district.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the strike targeted what it called key military plants in Kyiv, a statement that Ukrainian officials dismissed as a deliberate attempt to justify attacks on civilian areas. The assault has drawn fresh international condemnation and renewed calls for accelerated delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine.
Analysts note that the attack underscores Russia's ability to sustain large-scale missile and drone strikes despite Western sanctions, while also testing Ukraine's air defense capacity. With winter approaching, the pattern of strikes on energy infrastructure in previous winters may be repeating, raising concerns about civilian hardship and the resilience of Ukraine's power grid.