Russia fired 496 drones and 74 missiles at Kyiv overnight in what Ukrainian officials called the deadliest attack on the capital this year, killing at least 27 people, injuring 91 others and damaging about 130 buildings across the city. Thick smoke hung over several districts on Friday as rescue workers searched collapsed apartment blocks for survivors.
Residential Areas Hit as Rescue Efforts Continue
One of the worst-hit locations was a nine-storey residential building on Kyiv’s eastern bank near the Dnipro River, where a missile tore through the structure, destroying 64 apartments. Ukrainian emergency crews worked through the morning to extinguish fires and recover victims from the rubble while volunteer rescue teams assisted the response. Authorities later declared a day of mourning as the death toll continued to rise.
What’s happening around the world: USA 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Tillman Seals Historic World Cup Knockout Victory
Moscow Calls Strike Retaliation
Russia said the operation targeted Ukrainian military facilities, airports and energy infrastructure, describing the assault as retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia. The strikes came after Ukraine reportedly hit a major oil refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed and intended to continue increasing military pressure. Ukrainian officials, however, said residential neighborhoods suffered direct impacts and warned that shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles reduced the country’s ability to stop incoming ballistic missiles.
International Condemnation Mounts
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned what he called a “deadly pattern” of attacks on populated areas. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc would prepare additional sanctions targeting entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse containing roughly 320,000 humanitarian relief items was destroyed during the attack, adding to the damage caused across the capital. The latest assault marks one of the largest combined drone-and-missile barrages since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022 and underscores the growing intensity of long-range strikes by both sides as the war enters another critical phase.
For more updates follow: First Report News
