Russia carried out one of its most intense aerial attacks of the war on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, killing at least four people and injuring more than 100 others, officials reported.
The overnight bombardment involved waves of missiles and drones, causing explosions that shook the city for hours. Fires raged across multiple districts, with significant damage reported to residential buildings — including structures near the government area — as well as shopping centers, museums, theaters, schools, and universities. Civilians took shelter in underground metro stations during the barrage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the strike sites on Tuesday and strongly condemned the attack. He described Russia as “genuinely deranged” for launching the assault and specifically criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for deploying the advanced Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia fired approximately 90 missiles and 600 drones in the operation. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the use of the Oreshnik missile — only the third time it has been employed in the conflict. The weapon is notable for its high speed, maneuverability, and ability to carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), enabling it to strike several targets with separate warheads.
One Kyiv resident, speaking amid the destruction, said: “This is of course horrible. It is horrible what Russia is doing. That it is trying to destroy us. That it gives us no chance at life. But we have no other option. We have to endure all of this.”
The strikes appear to be retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian-occupied territory. Moscow claims those strikes hit a vocational school, killing at least 18 people, mostly students.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the Russian attacks on civilian areas and announced fresh EU support to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. Other European leaders described the scale of the assault as evidence of Russia’s growing desperation.
The latest violence fits a pattern of near-daily Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while Kyiv has escalated its own long-range drone operations against Russian regions, including residential zones and oil export facilities.