Russia has conducted one of its most significant ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, executing a five-hour bombardment that resulted in at least one fatality and seven injuries. The assault caused extensive damage and sparked multiple fires throughout the city. According to Ukrainian officials, the capital was targeted by approximately 40 Iskander-M and hypersonic Zircon missiles. The attack began with air raid sirens at 1:30 am, followed by the sounds of air defenses and subsequent explosions. A second siren sounded at 6:30 am, with further impacts reported across the city.
In the central Shevchenkivsky district, a three-storey building caught fire, where rescuers recovered one body after digging through the debris to reach trapped individuals. Damage was also reported in four other areas, including residential buildings, offices, and a dormitory. The city military administration confirmed the fatality on Telegram, while Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted the seven wounded. At the Lukyanivska metro station, which has been temporarily closed, residents sheltering inside captured footage showing the collapse of the ground-floor vestibule ceiling due to a massive blast wave.
Kyiv’s military reported shooting down 18 missiles during the Sunday attack, alongside 108 of 125 drones launched by Russia. Emergency crews were deployed across several districts, including Sviatoshynskyi, Solomyanskyi, Desnianskyi, and Dnipro, to combat fires and search for survivors. One resident in western Kyiv, identified as Vlad, described how a blast wave tore off his balcony door, which struck him in the head while he was attempting to assist his immobile grandmother.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the ongoing threat on X, stating that protection against ballistic missiles remains a top priority and that interceptors are needed daily. He noted that Ukraine and the US had reached a political agreement regarding the domestic production of Patriot interceptors, with hopes for manufacturing to begin by the end of the year, as current stockpiles appear to be diminishing. The intensified attacks occur as the conflict enters its fifth year.
In a related development, Ukraine launched its own attack on Saturday, using drones to strike logistics facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions of Russia. Zelenskyy claimed these sites were utilized to supply components for Russian drone production and navigation. These strikes reportedly caused major fires and left eight people dead. Additionally, Russian forces carried out strikes on Saturday that killed five people and wounded nearly 20 across various other Ukrainian regions.
Houses in Kyiv’s historic centre shook, and car alarms blared, as dozens of missiles arrived in less than an hour. There was a second air raid siren at 6.30am, with more impacts reported.
Earlier on Saturday Russian strikes killed five people and wounded almost 20 in several regions.
