Russia launched one of its largest air assaults on Kyiv early Sunday, firing waves of drones and cruise missiles. The attacks have killed at least four people – including a 12-year-old girl – and injured dozens, leaving widespread destruction across the city.
The assault lasted more than 12 hours and included nearly “500 combat drones and more than 40 missiles, including a Kinzhal hypersonic missile,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement following the attack. Ukraine’s Air Force clarified that there were 595 drones and 48 missiles.
According to Ukrainian Telegram channels, monitoring the airspace, the assault came in waves. At first, swarms of drones were launched across several Ukrainian regions before turning toward the Kyiv region and the capital.
The first barrage of drones entered Kyiv airspace around 4:20 a.m. At 4:37 a.m., a Kyiv Post correspondent in the Solomianskyi district heard the shriek of a diving drone, followed by an explosion.
Moments later, a five-story residential building on the same street was found ablaze. Thick black smoke poured into the neighborhood from the burning structure.
Later, at approximately 5:15 a.m., cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers entered Ukrainian airspace and headed to the different regions across the country, including the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, Kalibr missiles launched simultaneously from naval vessels were directed at Zaporizhzhia.
The missiles were followed by another swarm of drones - more than hundreds of combat UAVs were headed towards the capital as of 6 a.m.
In Solomianskyi district, the five-story residential building sustained partial collapse and fires on the third and fourth floors. Firefighters rescued three people, and one person was injured, but tragically, a 12-year-old girl was killed under the rubble, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported. Another strike hit the Cardiology Institute, where two people were found dead.
“Four people were killed and 14 injured, one of them in serious condition, in Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said while standing at the attack scene.
In the Holosiivskyi district, a single-story private home suffered partial roof and wall damage, while another private residence caught fire but was extinguished without casualties.
In Sviatoshynskyi, debris fell on open ground. In Dniprovskyi, two parked cars were destroyed in fires, with no injuries. In Darnytskyi, a childcare facility building was damaged.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported the number of injured had risen to dozens and urged residents to remain in shelters as the attacks continued. Emergency services are working across the city to contain fires and assist civilians.
Alongside the attacks in the capital, several districts in Kyiv region also suffered fires and damage. In Petropavlivska Borshahivka – a city on the outskirts of Kyiv – a residential complex was heavily damaged, with one street almost fully destroyed.
Emergency teams are providing assistance on the ground, including psychological support for those affected. Authorities are still confirming whether there were any fatalities.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s latest barrage of strikes as “deliberate terror.”
Poland scrambled fighter jets to safeguard its airspace after NATO accused Moscow of repeated violations of the alliance’s borders in the wake of the latest strikes.
Efforts to broker peace have stalled, and Russia has pledged to press ahead with its offensive more than three and a half years into the war.
“Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing and deserves only the harshest pressure from the world,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the 12-hour assault.
“The Kremlin benefits from continuing this war and terror as long as there are profits from energy sales,” he added, urging Kyiv’s allies to impose tougher measures on Russia.