Kyiv Faces Unprecedented Aerial Assault: 23 Injured in Latest Drone and Missile Strikes
Massive Attack on Kyiv
Kyiv: In a significant escalation of hostilities, Kyiv endured a series of drone and missile strikes overnight, marking the most extensive aerial assault since the onset of the conflict with Russia. This attack resulted in injuries to 23 individuals and caused extensive damage across various districts of the city.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia deployed a total of 550 drones and missiles during the night, predominantly utilizing Shahed drones alongside 11 missiles.
Throughout the night, journalists from the Associated Press in Kyiv reported the persistent sound of drones and explosions, as Ukrainian defense forces engaged in efforts to thwart the aerial onslaught.
Kyiv was the focal point of this attack, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirming that 23 people were injured, 14 of whom required hospitalization.
Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 270 aerial threats, including two cruise missiles, while an additional 208 targets were lost from radar, likely due to jamming.
The assault saw Russia successfully strike eight locations using nine missiles and 63 drones, with debris from intercepted drones scattering across at least 33 sites.
This attack followed a call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Trump made his first public remarks regarding the decision to halt certain arms shipments to Ukraine.
The halted shipments include critical munitions such as Patriot missiles, AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, and shorter-range Stinger missiles, which are essential for countering incoming threats and neutralizing Russian aircraft.
Just days prior, Russia had conducted its largest aerial assault of the war, launching 537 drones, decoys, and 60 missiles.
Emergency services reported damage across at least five of Kyiv's ten districts. In the Solomianskyi district, a five-story residential building suffered partial destruction, and the roof of a seven-story building was set ablaze. Fires also erupted at a warehouse, a garage complex, and an auto repair shop.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, a strike impacted a 14-story residential building, igniting a fire and damaging several nearby vehicles. Additional fires were reported at non-residential sites.
The Shevchenkivskyi district also faced attacks, with an eight-story building sustaining damage on its first floor. Falling debris was noted in the Darnytskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
Furthermore, Ukraine's national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported that drone strikes had compromised rail infrastructure in Kyiv.