Kyiv (Europe Brief News): At least nine people have died in a major missile and drone strike by Russia on Kyiv during the night, with 70 others injured, including six children
A combined attack involving missiles and drones from Russia resulted in fires, destroyed buildings, and trapped residents under debris in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, leading to the death of at least nine people and injuring over 70, which includes six children, as reported by Ukrainian officials on Thursday.
Officials reported that Kyiv underwent an exceptionally dreadful and noisy night. It has now been confirmed that nine civilians have been killed in Kyiv more than 70 injured including six children. Several cities and towns across Ukraine were hit by Russian missiles and drones overnight, and civilians were wounded.
The State Emergency Service wrote on the Telegram messaging app that, “There has been destruction. The search is continuing for people under rubble, mobile telephones are heard ringing beneath rubble. The search will continue until it becomes clear that they have got everyone.”
The most severe incident occurred at an apartment complex that was destroyed in the Sviatoshynskyi district, located to the west of the city center.
Images shared on Telegram depicted rescue teams using floodlights, carefully navigating through debris and scaling ladders that were extended against building facades. The police were going door to door in apartments to check on the safety of residents.
According to the emergency service, rescue teams were active at 13 locations throughout the capital, accompanied by climbing specialists and search dogs. There were reports of forty fires had broken out. Fires erupted in garages and administrative buildings, with falling metal debris hitting vehicles.
An air raid warning was active in the capital for six hours.
Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, experienced two waves of Russian missile attacks overnight, resulting in two injuries and broken windows, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram.
The Zhytomyr region, situated west of Kyiv, also sustained damage, with emergency services reporting that Russian forces executed a second strike on rescue teams attending to a fire, injuring one worker.
Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said that railway infrastructure was also hit, causing two railway workers to suffer injuries.
In both the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, shelling caused damage to tracks and administrative as well as technical buildings, though train operations continued normally.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says in a post on X, Yesterday’s Russian maximalist demands for Ukraine to withdraw from its regions, combined with these brutal strikes, show that Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace. Moscow, not Kyiv, is where pressure should be applied.
Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts and only wants to continue the war. Weakness and concessions will not stop his terror and aggression. Only strength and pressure will, he said.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal has also posted about last night’s attacks on his Telegram channel, saying Russia “terrorised” Ukrainian cities “all night long”.
“Weakness and concessions will not stop his terror and aggression. Only strength and pressure will. “Ukraine insists on a complete and unconditional ceasefire,” he says.
The attacks occurred just hours after President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, accusing him of hindering a peace agreement and asserting that he is “more difficult” to negotiate with than Russia.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had another conflict regarding the efforts to conclude the three-year conflict in Ukraine. Trump reproached Zelensky for not acknowledging Russia’s occupation of Crimea as part of the U.S. peace proposal.
The Trump administration has said it may end its attempts to solve the conflict if Ukraine and Russia do not accept the U.S. peace proposal.
The attacks come at a critical time in the conflict, which began after Russia invaded the country in 2022, with both Ukraine and Russia pushed by the United States to demonstrate progress toward a peace deal.
It comes after tense high-level talks in Paris on April 17, 2025 and London on April 23, 2025 where diplomatic discussions were scaled back after the cancellation by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The U.S. has increased its pressure on both parties to engage in high level talks, with Trump threatening to withdraw from mediation if terms aren’t agreed upon, while Kyiv demands a complete ceasefire before discussing territorial issues.
