Russia has unleashed one of its most intense air assaults in recent months on Ukraine, pounding Kyiv and its surrounding region with drones and missiles in an overnight barrage that left at least four people dead — among them a 12-year-old girl — and 14 others injured.
The attack, which lasted more than 12 hours from late Saturday into Sunday, involved nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles fired at seven regions of Ukraine, according to officials. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes were “brutal” and warned that his country would retaliate.
Read also: Trump shifts stance on Ukraine, says Kyiv can win back all its land
“Nearly 500 strike drones and more than 40 missiles, including ‘Kinzhal’ hypersonic weapons, were launched,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. “Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing. These vile attacks show Russia deserves only the harshest pressure from the world.”
Read also: Russias record strike hit Ukraine’s government building for the first time
The Ukrainian air alert app repeatedly warned of incoming drones throughout the night, driving many people into metro stations deep underground. By Sunday morning, firefighters and rescue teams were still working across the capital, where more than 15 locations had been struck.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed the strikes targeted military facilities and defence-related industry, but Ukrainian authorities stressed the civilian toll. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Moscow had destroyed residential buildings and caused “civilian casualties,” insisting the international community must “maximise the cost of further escalation for Russia.”
Read also: Russia pounds Kyiv with missiles, killing 14 people including four children
For Kyiv residents, the pattern has become grimly familiar. The first sirens sounded at 22:00 GMT on Saturday, setting off another long night of explosions and uncertainty. As one local resident told Ukrainian media: “They strike when families are trying to rest.”
Zelensky said Ukraine would continue to strike back. “The time for decisive action has long come, and we count on a strong reaction from the US, Europe, the G7 and the G20,” he said.
