Children wrapped tightly in blankets, families clutching frightened pets, and exhausted residents trying to sleep on concrete floors became the face of Kyiv overnight as Russia unleashed another massive barrage of missiles and drones on the Ukrainian capital.
The assault, which included ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strike drones, killed at least two people and injured more than a dozen, according to Kyiv city officials. But for thousands sheltering underground, the night was measured not only in casualty figures, but in the piercing wail of sirens, the thunder of explosions, and the agonizing wait for daylight.
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Hours before the attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an urgent warning from Ireland, saying Ukrainian intelligence had detected Russian preparations for a massive strike.
‘Ballistic missiles approaching’
The night escalated after Ukraine’s Air Force warned that ballistic missiles were heading toward Kyiv.
Air defense units engaged incoming Russian targets as a series of explosions echoed across the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv was under a combined attack from drones and ballistic missiles, urging residents to remain in shelters as debris rained down across several neighborhoods.
Underground: the city beneath the city
Below the surface, Kyiv’s deep metro stations transformed into a subterranean refuge from Moscow’s terror.
Residents rushed down escalators as the assault intensified. Parents carried half-asleep children in their arms, while others dragged backpacks, blankets and crates holding anxious cats and dogs.
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For parents, the metro offered physical safety but little comfort. Speaking to AFP, one mother described the exhaustion of trying to calm a child used to sleeping in darkness and silence. Underground, the lights stayed on, dogs barked, children stirred, and the heavy vibrations of explosions could still be felt above.
The scene reflected a brutal wartime routine Kyiv residents know too well: glowing phone screens, families refreshing Telegram channels for updates, and strangers lying shoulder to shoulder on platforms until the early-morning all-clear.
Above ground: fires and destruction
When daylight broke, rescue crews were battling the aftermath of Russia’s assault across multiple districts of the capital.
City officials reported damage to residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and a medical facility. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a medical facility was partially destroyed, and several medical workers were among the injured. A market also caught fire after falling debris.
In the Desnianskyi district, rescuers worked at a damaged nine-story residential building where people were believed to be trapped. In the Darnytskyi district, debris caused a fire and partial destruction of a five-story residential building. In the Holosiivskyi district, a fire broke out in a high-rise.
The attack also struck the wider Kyiv region. Regional officials reported fires at warehouses and a private home in the Bucha district, as well as damage to homes, a student dormitory and vehicles elsewhere in the region.
Intelligence forewarned the blow
The night of terror came just hours after Zelensky cut short a diplomatic visit to Dublin, citing intelligence that Russia was preparing a major strike.
“I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families; to use shelters and heed air raid alerts,” Zelensky warned during a press conference alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
The president said Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had been preparing the strike “for some time.”
By dawn, that warning had become a grim reality. For Kyiv, the night served as another bitter reminder that Russia’s war is fought not only along the front line, but also against civilians forced to turn metro platforms into bedrooms whenever Moscow sends missiles into the dark.
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