In a significant escalation, Russia conducted a major 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 reported by Ukrainian officials. The attack has prompted ongoing rescue efforts, with authorities cautioning that the number of casualties may increase.
The assault inflicted severe damage on residential structures throughout the Ukrainian capital. Emergency services reported that at least 15 apartment buildings were either damaged or destroyed. Particularly affected was a nine-story residential block in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, where rescue operations were underway to extricate individuals trapped beneath the debris.
Additionally, a fatality was recorded in the Bucha district, situated northwest of Kyiv. Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged the execution of what it termed a “massive” strike, utilizing long-range missiles and drones. The ministry claimed the operation aimed at military, energy, and airfield infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine.
This attack follows closely on the heels of another significant Russian strike that occurred just days prior, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people in Kyiv, marking one of the year’s deadliest assaults on the city.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported ongoing combat around the strategically important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. He dismissed Russian assertions of having captured the town, underscoring the continued resistance by Ukrainian forces.