An early morning assault by Russia on Kyiv resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and injuries to 46 others, including five children, Ukrainian officials reported. The large-scale missile and drone attack struck the Ukrainian capital on Monday, leading to ongoing rescue operations as authorities fear the number of casualties might increase.
The assault caused significant damage to residential areas, with emergency services noting that at least 15 apartment buildings were affected. Among the damaged structures was a nine-story residential block in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, where rescue workers are actively engaged in efforts to extract people trapped beneath the debris. Additionally, a fatality was reported in the Bucha district, situated northwest of Kyiv.
Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged conducting the “massive” offensive, utilizing long-range missiles and drones. The ministry claimed that the targets included military facilities, energy infrastructure, and airfields in Kyiv and other regions across Ukraine. This attack follows closely on the heels of another significant Russian strike that left 27 people dead in Kyiv, marking one of the year’s deadliest incidents in the city.
In the broader conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed ongoing hostilities around Kostyantynivka, a strategically important town in the Donetsk region. He refuted Russian assertions that the town had been seized, asserting that fighting continues in the area.