Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war overnight, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in a devastating attack that killed at least 27 people, injured 91 others, and left widespread destruction across the city. The strike, described as the deadliest attack on Kyiv this year, prompted renewed calls from Ukrainian leaders for stronger Western military support and more advanced air defence systems.
The assault began in the early hours of Thursday, with multiple explosions rocking central Kyiv as air raid sirens blared across the capital. Thousands of residents sought refuge in underground metro stations and bomb shelters while thick columns of smoke rose above the skyline. Emergency crews worked throughout the day to extinguish fires, rescue trapped residents, and search through the rubble of collapsed buildings.
According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, the death toll rose to 27 after one of the critically injured victims died in hospital. At least 91 people were wounded in the attacks, including children, paramedics, and ambulance drivers.
Search-and-rescue operations remained underway in several districts of the city. In one eastern suburb on the left bank of the Dnipro River, rescue workers recovered five bodies from the ruins of a residential building while eight residents were still missing.
“Rescue crews will work without interruption until all the debris is cleared,” Tkachenko said in a statement posted on Telegram. “Unfortunately, more victims may still be found.”
The attack caused unprecedented destruction across much of Kyiv, damaging approximately 130 buildings, including apartment complexes, educational institutions, research laboratories, humanitarian facilities, and diplomatic accommodation. Officials said the scale and geographic spread of the damage had few parallels since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
One of the hardest-hit locations was a nine-storey residential building that was partially destroyed when a missile struck its upper floors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who cut short an official visit to Ireland and returned immediately to Kyiv, visited the site later in the day.
Standing before the wreckage, Zelenskyy blamed the extent of the destruction on delays by Ukraine’s allies in supplying promised air defence systems.
“If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today,” he said. “All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more.”
Later, in his nightly video address, the Ukrainian president said strengthening the country’s air defence network would be among the top priorities at next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. He also reiterated his long-standing proposal for a broader European air defence system capable of protecting the continent against Russian missile attacks.
“If, of course, NATO still means anything to the allies,” Zelenskyy said. “Europe must have its own sufficient capability to defend against all types of threats, including this one—from Russian ballistic missiles.”
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones during the overnight assault. Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat said the number of ballistic missiles used was unusually high and acknowledged that Ukraine’s ability to intercept them remained limited due to shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles.
The attack highlighted Ukraine’s continuing struggle to defend its skies despite receiving advanced Western military equipment over the past two years. Officials have repeatedly warned that dwindling missile stockpiles are weakening the country’s air defence network at a time when Russia has intensified its long-range strikes.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed carrying out what it described as a “massive attack” using high-precision, long-range air-, land-, and sea-launched weapons along with drones. In a statement released on Telegram, Moscow said the strikes targeted military installations, energy infrastructure, and airports in Kyiv and other regions.
Russian authorities said the operation was conducted in retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russian territory.
Ukraine has significantly expanded its long-range drone campaign in recent weeks, targeting fuel depots, refineries, and industrial facilities deep inside Russia. Ukrainian officials said they had struck an oil refinery overnight in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. The regional governor reported that one person was killed following a strike on an industrial facility.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed by military commanders on the overnight operation and indicated that Russia would continue intensifying military pressure on Ukraine to achieve its strategic objectives.
The devastation prompted Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko to declare Friday a day of mourning for the victims. He said damage had been recorded across nearly every district of the city, home to roughly three million residents.
Humanitarian organizations also suffered significant losses. The Ukrainian Red Cross announced that its warehouse in Kyiv had been destroyed during the assault. The organization said approximately 320,000 relief items intended for emergency operations across Ukraine had been lost in the attack.
Photographs released by the organization showed shattered walls, collapsed ceilings, and destroyed humanitarian supplies scattered throughout the damaged facility.
Diplomatic property was also affected. European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said accommodation used by diplomatic personnel was struck during the overnight bombardment.
“Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv,” she wrote on social media, adding that while diplomatic staff escaped injury, many lost personal belongings after a fire broke out following the attack.
Ordinary residents described scenes of panic and devastation as explosions echoed across the capital.
“Our house is on fire,” Kyiv resident Iryna Plekhova wrote on Facebook.
“Oleg was pulling our neighbour out of the burning house, while I was phoning all the emergency services during the explosions.”
“We do not have an apartment anymore,” she added, alongside a photograph showing the remains of a heavily damaged residential building.
The scientific community also suffered a major setback after the National Institute of Biochemistry sustained extensive damage. Officials said the institute’s modern biochemical laboratory and research offices were largely destroyed.
“This is a catastrophe for medical and biological science of Ukraine,” biologist Yurii Danylovych said, warning that years of research and valuable scientific equipment had been lost.
The scale of the attack also triggered security responses beyond Ukraine’s borders. Poland, a NATO and European Union member, scrambled fighter aircraft as a precaution while monitoring activity near its airspace. Finland briefly imposed a temporary aviation restriction zone over the eastern Gulf of Finland as a preventive measure before lifting the restrictions.
Military analysts say the latest escalation reflects an increasingly dangerous phase of the conflict. While Ukraine has expanded drone operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure, Moscow has responded by dramatically increasing missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities.
Recent Ukrainian attacks have reportedly disrupted Russia’s domestic fuel supplies, contributing to shortages that have forced the country to import gasoline from overseas, including India.
In response, Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Ukrainian urban centres. Last month, Russian strikes damaged a centuries-old cathedral in Kyiv regarded as one of the most significant religious landmarks in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
International leaders strongly condemned Thursday’s assault.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the latest attack demonstrated the need for stronger sanctions against Russia.
“Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex in response to the strikes,” she said. “The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the overnight bombardment. His spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, described the attack as part of a continuing “deadly pattern” of strikes targeting densely populated civilian areas across Ukraine.
The latest escalation comes despite renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Zelenskyy has publicly proposed direct peace talks with President Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin has rejected the offer.
The Ukrainian president also revealed that negotiators from Ukraine and the United States had held discussions over the past two days. Zelenskyy said he hopes to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of next week’s NATO summit, where Ukraine’s urgent need for additional air defence systems is expected to dominate discussions.
As rescue workers continue searching the ruins of destroyed buildings, many fear the death toll could rise further. For residents of Kyiv, Thursday’s devastating bombardment serves as another stark reminder that, despite years of war, the threat of large-scale attacks on civilians remains ever present.
