In a significant escalation, Russia carried out a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuring 46 others, including five children, as per Ukrainian officials. As rescue operations continued, authorities cautioned that the death toll might increase. The attack inflicted severe damage on residential areas throughout the Ukrainian capital, with emergency services reporting damage to at least 15 apartment buildings.
The Podilskyi district of Kyiv experienced substantial destruction, particularly at a nine-story residential block where rescue teams were actively working to extricate individuals trapped beneath the debris. In addition to the devastation in Kyiv, one fatality was also reported in the Bucha district, situated northwest of the capital.
Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged conducting what it termed a “massive” strike using long-range missiles and drones, asserting that the targets included military, energy, and airfield infrastructure within Kyiv and other regions across Ukraine. This incident follows a recent major Russian attack that claimed the lives of at least 27 people in Kyiv, marking one of the most lethal assaults on the city this year.
Amid these developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed ongoing hostilities around the strategically significant town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. He refuted Russian claims that the town had been captured, emphasizing that fighting in the area continues.