Russia launches major missile assault on Kyiv as the war in Ukraine enters another intense phase, with a wave of ballistic missiles and drones targeting the capital overnight. The attack killed at least one person, injured 16 others, and caused widespread destruction across several districts of Kyiv, while other parts of the country also came under fire.
The overnight bombardment was one of the largest missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials said the assault lasted for hours, forcing emergency crews to battle fires and rescue people trapped inside damaged buildings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 41 missiles of different types along with 125 drones during the overnight operation. Kyiv was the primary target.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that its air defence systems intercepted 18 missiles and either destroyed or disabled 108 drones before they reached their intended targets. Even so, several missiles and drones broke through the country’s defences, causing damage across the capital.
The scale of the attack highlights Russia’s continued use of combined missile and drone strikes to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence systems. Military analysts say this tactic increases the chances that some weapons will evade interception, even when air defence crews successfully stop the majority.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said residential buildings, office spaces, warehouses, a supermarket and a student dormitory were among the sites damaged during the attack.
Emergency teams responded to multiple fires across the city while medical workers treated the injured. Officials said three victims remained in critical condition.
One of the hardest-hit locations was a three-storey apartment building in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district. The building caught fire after being struck during the bombardment. Rescue workers evacuated residents before later recovering one person’s body from the debris.
Fires also broke out in the Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi, Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts, keeping firefighters busy for several hours as they worked to prevent further damage.
The attack also affected public infrastructure. The blast wave damaged an underground pedestrian passage near Lukyanivska metro station, while part of the station entrance ceiling collapsed during the strikes. Authorities temporarily closed the station while engineers assessed the damage.
The latest attack once again exposed the growing pressure on Ukraine’s air defence network.
Although Ukraine intercepted a significant number of incoming missiles and drones, officials continue to warn that the country lacks enough interceptor missiles to defend against repeated large-scale attacks.
The Patriot air defence system remains Ukraine’s most effective weapon against ballistic missiles, but officials say supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles remain limited.
Zelenskyy described ballistic missile defence as Ukraine’s most urgent military priority.
“Interceptors are needed every day,” he wrote on X, urging international partners to accelerate deliveries of additional air defence equipment.
Last week, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and the United States had reached a political agreement allowing Patriot interceptor missiles to be produced under licence inside Ukraine. While production could begin before the end of the year, officials have not confirmed a timetable.
The overnight assault extended well beyond Kyiv.
Regional authorities reported that three people were killed and at least 20 others were injured after missiles struck a suburb of Kharkiv. A postal terminal was among the buildings damaged, and three of the injured were said to be in serious condition.
In the Sumy region, Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a rehabilitation centre also came under attack.
Sybiha described the strikes on Kyiv as “a brutal terrorist attack on the Ukrainian capital” and renewed calls for stronger international pressure on Moscow.
The latest attacks came shortly after Ukraine reported carrying out operations inside Russian territory.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Security Service struck three oil depots in Russia’s Stavropol region, while Ukrainian forces also targeted another fuel storage facility nearby. He also claimed Ukrainian forces damaged three Russian oil tankers operating in the Black Sea.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium later confirmed that its terminal at Novorossiysk had been hit. The company said two tankers were damaged, forcing oil loading operations to stop temporarily. It added that no injuries or oil spills were reported.
These cross-border attacks reflect a broader shift in the conflict, with both countries increasingly targeting fuel infrastructure, logistics hubs and military supply routes far behind the front lines.
Long-range attacks have become more frequent in recent weeks as both Russia and Ukraine expand the use of missiles and drones.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia launched about 1,450 attack drones, more than 1,640 guided bombs and 99 missiles against Ukraine over the past week alone.
The continued pace of these attacks places increasing pressure on Ukraine’s emergency services, military resources and civilian infrastructure. It also raises fresh concerns about the country’s ability to maintain adequate air defence coverage if large-scale missile barrages continue.
The latest assault also comes during a politically sensitive period for Kyiv following Zelenskyy’s dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a decision that has prompted protests in the Ukrainian capital.
As the conflict shows little sign of easing, both military operations and political developments are shaping the next phase of the war, with civilians continuing to bear much of the cost.
