Russian forces launched a massive overnight assault on Kyiv, killing four people and injuring 27 others. Explosions ripped through several districts, igniting fires and destroying apartment buildings, Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed.
Rescue workers battled flames and searched rubble for victims. Klitschko said two bodies remained trapped under debris as emergency crews worked through the morning. Among the wounded were two children, aged 7 and 10, and a pregnant woman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it a “deliberate strike” on civilians and vital infrastructure. He reported that Russian forces fired 430 drones and 18 missiles, including ballistic and aeroballistic weapons.
Explosions Trigger Fires and Citywide Alerts
The assault damaged at least 11 apartment complexes across Kyiv. Fires broke out in the Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts after debris from intercepted missiles hit residential areas. One blaze erupted near a medical facility, while another engulfed a nonresidential building.
Authorities urged residents to stay in shelters until air raid alarms stopped. Officials warned that water and power outages could follow as emergency workers assessed damage to the city’s utilities.
Outside Kyiv, Russian strikes battered the surrounding region, injuring at least six civilians and damaging critical infrastructure. A 55-year-old man in Bila Tserkva sustained severe burns and was hospitalized, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said. Ukraine’s Air Force reported additional attacks across several regions as the bombardment continued.
Russia Expands Offensive Amid Heavy Losses
Russia’s latest wave of strikes coincided with new territorial advances in southern Ukraine. Ukrainian troops withdrew from multiple villages in Zaporizhzhia after fierce clashes with Russian forces.
Over the past month, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed control of nine towns in Donetsk, eight in Zaporizhzhia, seven in Dnipropetrovsk, and five in Kharkiv. Despite these gains, analysts say Moscow’s progress remains slow and costly.
The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia’s siege of Pokrovsk has stalled as commanders spread elite units and drone teams too thinly across multiple fronts. Ukraine’s resistance continues to restrict Russia’s momentum, forcing it to rely on heavy bombardments instead of major breakthroughs.
