A Russian missile barrage on Thursday killed at least 12 people and wounded 33 in Kyiv, local authorities reported. Explosions were heard across Ukraine's capital throughout the night, with the air raid alert active into the early morning hours.
The strikes impacted 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Solomianskyi districts. Residential buildings, a medical facility, and an educational institution sustained damage. Emergency crews worked to rescue individuals from under rubble.
In the Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed, and fires erupted on other floors. Residents were also trapped in two other residential buildings and a school shelter.
One resident described the scene, stating, "A rocket hit the roof. It was incredibly loud, immediately, debris and doors were blown out. There were columns of smoke, columns of fire, screams, crying and despair." The resident added that two people were killed in her building but expressed gratitude for the quick response of rescuers.
Russia has reportedly intensified ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv in an effort to deplete the capital's air defense capabilities. Ukraine possesses limited systems capable of intercepting ballistic threats, and its Patriot air defense system missile supplies are described as chronically constrained.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had authorized Ukraine to obtain licenses for producing Patriot air-defense systems but later rescinded that decision. Meanwhile, Ukraine has increased its long-range strikes targeting weapons depots, military facilities, and other strategic sites within Russian territory to degrade Moscow's capacity to attack Ukrainian cities.