A massive overnight missile and drone assault by Russia on the Kyiv region killed at least nine people and injured dozens more, marking one of the most devastating attacks in recent weeks. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that residential buildings, hospitals, and sports facilities were among the targets in the early hours of Monday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that six people died in a single high-rise building, while the city’s military administration reported 33 injuries. The Ukrainian air force said the latest barrage included 352 drones and 16 missiles, mostly aimed at the capital area, in what appears to be a continued effort to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences.
The onslaught forced thousands of Kyiv residents into bomb shelters, while terrifying stories of survival emerged. One resident, Valeriy Mankuta, recounted waking up buried in rubble and escaping his shattered apartment through a window. Another, Natalia Marshavska, said she was thrown across her room by a drone blast that blew out her windows.
Beyond Kyiv, a drone strike on a hospital in Bila Tserkva killed one person, while an attack on the Odesa region left two dead and at least 12 wounded. A school in the area was nearly destroyed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday to discuss military support, condemned the attacks, saying, “None of these Russian strikes are accidental.”
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky vowed that Ukraine would intensify strikes on Russian targets, warning that a purely defensive posture results in further territorial losses and casualties. This latest wave follows last week’s deadly attacks that left at least 28 people dead and more than 100 injured, underscoring the increasing intensity and frequency of Russia’s air campaign.
