Ukraine hit by large Russian drone and missile attack; four dead in Kyiv
Kyiv and several regions targeted as hundreds of drones and missiles strike across Ukraine, wounding dozens and drawing international condemnation.
A large Russian drone and missile barrage struck Ukraine overnight into Sunday, killing at least four people in Kyiv and wounding no fewer than 10, authorities said. Kyiv’s city administration confirmed the death toll, including a 12-year-old girl, and said more than 20 locations in the capital were damaged. The attack scene near the city center showed thick smoke rising from the blasts as emergency crews fought fires and searched for victims.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the assault involved nearly 500 strike drones and more than 40 missiles, targeting civilian areas across the country. He listed the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa as among those attacked, as the bombardment wounded at least 40 people nationwide. The strikes began overnight and continued after dawn on Sunday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, with damage reported at more than 20 locations across the capital, including residential buildings, a medical facility and a kindergarten. At Kyiv’s central train station, passengers waited under an air-raid shelter as anti-aircraft fire crackled in the skies.
Rescue crews responded to the destruction, sorting through debris as firefighters worked to extinguish blazes and secure areas around damaged structures. A multi-story residential building was heavily damaged by a drone strike, with upper floors gutted and windows blown out. Residents gathered on sidewalks and benches nearby, some shaken, as responders used power saws to clear rubble.
Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov said three children were among 27 people wounded in the regional capital, and more than two dozen buildings were damaged in the region’s city of Zaporizhzhia. The assault also carried a toll on civilian infrastructure in other cities, underscoring the broad reach of the strikes.
Kyiv’s mayor said the capital experienced damage at more than 20 sites, including a medical facility and a kindergarten, while residents described a sense of déjà vu as the city endured another night of bombardment. Parents checked news on their phones as children played online games, and many sought shelter in stations and underpasses during the chaos.
International concerns have mounted that fighting could spill beyond Ukraine’s borders. At the United Nations General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow does not intend to attack Europe but would mount a decisive response to any aggression. Zelensky said the day’s events demonstrated Russia’s willingness to escalate, and he urged the world to impose the toughest possible costs on Moscow.
Poland said fighter jets were deployed early Sunday to defend western Ukrainian airspace after Russia struck targets in western Ukraine, describing the measures as preventative. The presence of Polish aircraft underscored the war’s potential regional ramifications as neighboring countries monitored the situation closely.
The bombardment came amid broader diplomatic maneuvering, including Zelensky’s announcement of what he described as a “mega deal” for weapons with the United States. The package totals about $90 billion and includes both a major arms transfer and a separate drone agreement in which Ukrainian-made drones would be purchased directly by Washington.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday, state media reported, reflecting the tit-for-tat nature of the ongoing conflict and the intensity of drone warfare on both sides.
The attack also drew reactions from European capitals and Washington, underscoring the risk of broader escalation. In the hours after the strikes, officials described ongoing search-and-rescue operations and said emergency services would remain on high alert as conditions on the ground continued to evolve. Officials cautioned that the situation could change as engineers assess structural stability at damaged sites and security services review intelligence on further threats.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged international leaders to sustain support as it defends against ongoing Russian bombardments, while Moscow has signaled its willingness to respond to Western support for Kyiv. The current violence marks one of the most significant flare-ups since last month’s air attack on Kyiv that killed at least 21 people, and authorities warned that the war could intensify in the weeks ahead.
