Russia pounds Kyiv in major overnight strike, killing at least 18

KYIV: Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the Ukrainian capital overnight into Thursday, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 90 in what Ukrainian officials described as the broadest destruction in Kyiv so far this year.

Blasts were heard across central Kyiv through the night as residents sought shelter in bunkers and metro stations. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who cut short a visit to Ireland and returned home, said more than 20 locations across the capital had been damaged.

Zelenskiy said the assault was centred on the capital and renewed his appeal for air defence support from allies. He said air defence assistance for Ukraine remained an urgent priority and also called on partners to continue contributing to a fund for the purchase of US weapons, including Patriot missile systems.

"The main strike was directed at Kyiv"

The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight. Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat said the number of ballistic missiles used was unusually high and that the interception rate against them was low. Ukraine has faced shortages of Patriot missiles in recent months.

Damage across the city

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a day of mourning in the capital for Friday. He said damage had been recorded across the city of about 3 million residents, with some structures heavily hit. City officials said the wounded included children, paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, while some people were still believed to be trapped in damaged apartment blocks.

Emergency teams searched the rubble of a destroyed nine-storey building on the left bank of the Dnipro River as fires continued to flare nearby after sunrise. Resident Iryna Plekhova described the scene in a Facebook post, saying her home had burned and that efforts were underway to rescue neighbours during the explosions.

"We do not have an apartment anymore."

Among the damaged sites was the National Institute of Biochemistry, where a modern laboratory and other offices were gutted. Biologist Yurii Danylovych told Reuters the loss was severe for Ukrainian medical and biological research because the facility contained rare equipment.

"This is a catastrophe for medical and biological science of Ukraine"

Russia says attack targeted military and energy facilities

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Telegram that its large-scale strike, using long-range precision weapons launched from the air, land and sea as well as drones, hit military and energy infrastructure and airports in Kyiv and elsewhere. Moscow said the bombardment was in retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

Ukraine said it had struck an oil refinery overnight in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. The regional governor reported one person killed in an attack on an industrial facility there. The Kremlin said Russian military commanders had briefed President Vladimir Putin on the strikes and added that pressure on Ukraine would continue as Moscow pursued its war objectives.

International reaction

Katarina Mathernova, the European Union ambassador to Ukraine, said accommodation used by diplomatic personnel had also been hit in the attack. She said diplomats were not injured, though their belongings were damaged in a fire at the building.

"Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv"

Poland briefly scrambled fighter jets as a precautionary step, while Finland’s defence forces said a temporary aviation restriction zone was briefly introduced in the eastern Gulf of Finland.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said continued military backing for Ukraine and stronger pressure on Moscow were needed to curb Russian attacks. She said she would propose sanctions on additional entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial sector in response to the latest strikes.

"Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex in response to the strikes"

The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.

The latest escalation comes as Kyiv has intensified long-range strikes inside Russia, largely targeting energy facilities. Those attacks have contributed to fuel shortages in Russia, prompting imports of gasoline from India. Russia has answered with a stronger air campaign against Ukrainian cities, including a strike last month on a historic Kyiv cathedral central to the Orthodox faith in both countries.

Zelenskiy has proposed talks with Putin to end the war, now more than four years old, but the Kremlin leader has rejected the proposal. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, while Kyiv says Russian strikes have killed thousands of civilians in Kyiv and other cities. Ukraine has also carried out attacks on Russia and Russian-occupied areas on a much smaller scale.