Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that at least 28 people were killed and 134 wounded in Kyiv after one of the deadliest Russian attacks on the capital since the war began more than three years ago.
“As of 4 p.m., the death toll from the massive enemy attack on the capital on June 17 has risen to 27. Rescuers are continuing the search operation. Utility services are helping to clear the rubble,” Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported on social media.
However, at 5:51 p.m., he wrote: “The number of victims of the massive enemy attack on the capital on June 17 has risen. The death of 28 Kyiv residents has now been confirmed.”
The mayor added that rescuers were still working at the site of the destruction.
“Employees of the city’s municipal services are helping to clear the rubble,” he said.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko reported on Telegram that the search and rescue operation in Kyiv’s Solomyanskyi district lasted for more than 39 hours.
“Today at 7:20 p.m., rescuers completed the search work. The dismantling of structures continues,” Klymenko wrote.
According to the minister, the bodies of 23 victims were recovered from the rubble at this location alone. In total, 28 people were killed in Kyiv as a result of the Russian attack on June 17, and another 142 people were injured.
“Sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased,” he added. “This is not just the tragedy of one family - it is the pain of the entire country.”
More than 400 rescuers from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) and over 200 pieces of equipment were involved in the operation. Specialized emergency rescue and engineering equipment was deployed, along with drones and search dogs.
The DSNS managed to rescue two people from the rubble, while about 50 others were evacuated from apartments and stairwells. Psychological support teams were also on site - more than 220 people received emergency assistance from psychologists.
Additionally, more than 300 law enforcement officers maintained security at the site around the clock and will continue to do so as needed.
“Houses, lives, and peace have been destroyed. But I believe we will survive,” he added. “Attacking cities and residential buildings where civilians are sleeping is outright terrorism. And the synonym for terrorism is Russia,” Klymenko wrote.
The assault came early Tuesday, when Russia launched dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the most horrific attacks” Kyiv has seen during the war.
Emergency crews said 17 of the victims were pulled from the rubble of a nine-story apartment building in the city’s Solomyansky district. In response to the attack, 120 emergency medical teams were deployed across the city.
Russia’s defense ministry said its forces had hit “military-industrial facilities” in the Kyiv region, repeating a statement often issued after large-scale attacks.
Zelensky said Russia launched 440 drones and 32 missiles in total, targeting cities across the country. He urged the international community not to “turn a blind eye.”
Early reports said that 27 locations in Kyiv were targeted in the June 17 attack.
One of the attacks focused on a nine-story residential building, which a mother and father managed to escape before its collapse, but their son did not. Social media posts showed them waiting for news from rescuers:
A spokesperson for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Svitlana Vodolaha, reported late on Tuesday that the parents identified the body of their dead son in the debris. (Earlier, false information had appeared online, claiming that the boy had survived and was in the hospital. The author of the post apologized to the parents of the deceased.)
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko noted on the attack:
“A ballistic missile hit a nine-story building in Kyiv. One section of the building has been completely destroyed. It was destroyed all the way down to the basement due to a direct hit.”
Later, Col. Yurii Ihnat, head of Communications for the Ukrainian Air Force, reported, “Of the 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles, one hit the [apartment] block; you can see the terrible aftermath; the other 15 were shot down.”
Despite ongoing efforts by the United States to negotiate a ceasefire, talks have made little progress. Moscow has rejected Ukraine’s call for an unconditional truce, while Kyiv has dismissed Russia’s terms as ultimatums.