At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured after a Russian missile barrage overnight struck civilian targets across Kyiv, including a children's hospital, residential buildings, and an educational institution. The strikes hit 12 locations across the city's Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Solomianskyi districts.
Emergency crews worked through the night and into Thursday morning to pull people from under rubble. In the Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed, with fires breaking out on other floors. Residents were also trapped in other residential buildings and a school shelter.
Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, along with 168 drones. Air defense units managed to down 145 drones and most of the cruise missiles but were less effective against ballistic trajectory missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on X, formerly Twitter, stating it was a "massive attack" where Russians "had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure."
Zelensky issued an appeal for enhanced anti-ballistic defense, specifically requesting more US-made Patriot interceptors. "Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, such strikes do not always receive the response they should from the world," he wrote. "And as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistic defence, Russia will not consider peace seriously."
Kyiv currently possesses limited systems capable of intercepting ballistic threats, and the supply of missiles for its US-made Patriot air defense systems is reportedly constrained by global demand. Zelensky highlighted that "Every additional missile saves the lives of our people."
The FREYJA program, which aims to integrate Ukrainian missile technology with European industry to develop an affordable anti-ballistic missile system, was mentioned as an ongoing effort.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko confirmed that a children's hospital sustained damage, with broken windows and nearby cars set ablaze. An educational institution also suffered damage. The airstrikes caused power outages for thousands of properties across the Kyiv region.
One resident, Larysa Bondaruk, described the scene of intense noise and destruction, with debris and smoke filling the air. She recounted that rescuers responded quickly to extract people, including herself and her cat, from damaged buildings, though her neighbor's grandson was reportedly killed.
Kyiv has observed an intensification of Russian ballistic missile attacks on the capital in recent weeks, seen as an effort to deplete Ukraine's air defense stocks. Over the past week, more than a dozen regions across Ukraine have been targeted. Concurrently, Ukraine has increased its own long-range strikes against targets within Russian territory.