In a significant overnight offensive, Russia executed a drone and missile strike on Kyiv, resulting in injuries to at least 23 individuals, damaging rail infrastructure, and igniting fires in multiple areas of the Ukrainian capital, as reported by officials on Friday morning.
Air raid sirens echoed throughout the night during an assault that extended beyond eight hours, with various waves of drones and missiles involved. Ukraine’s Air Force disclosed that Russia deployed a staggering 539 drones and 11 missiles across the country, marking one of the most extensive overnight attacks in recent months.
“The primary target of these strikes was the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv!” the Air Force stated on Telegram.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that 14 of the injured individuals were hospitalised, with damage reported across six of Kyiv’s ten districts, spanning both sides of the Dnipro River. In the Holosiivskyi district, debris from the drones ignited a fire at a medical facility.
This airstrike is part of a worrying trend, as Russian attacks on Kyiv have surged in frequency and intensity, causing some of the most severe destruction since the conflict began.
Amidst the chaos, residents captured distressing footage on social media, depicting individuals fleeing for safety, firefighters battling flames in the dark, and buildings with shattered windows.
Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, announced that the capital’s rail infrastructure was impacted, prompting the rerouting of several passenger trains.
The Air Force reported that Ukraine successfully intercepted 478 of the aerial threats. Additional airstrikes occurred in at least eight regions, involving nine missiles and 63 drones.
In eastern Ukraine, five fatalities were reported late Thursday in and around Pokrovsk, a city that has faced relentless Russian bombardment for months.
Diplomatic discussions appear futile; U.S. President Donald Trump stated that a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin yielded “no progress” towards resolving the conflict. The Kremlin reiterated its commitment to addressing the “root causes” of the war.
Kyiv has expressed concerns that a recent U.S. decision to halt certain critical arms shipments could severely impair Ukraine’s defensive capabilities amid escalating airstrikes and renewed Russian advances.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his intention to discuss the stalled arms supply with Trump on Friday.
Both Kyiv and Moscow maintain that they do not target civilians, yet tens of thousands—predominantly Ukrainians—have lost their lives since Russia’s full-scale invasion commenced in February 2022.