Kyiv endures massive overnight aerial assault with widespread damage reported across 50 locations, at least 2 dead

Russia launched one of the largest combined missile and drone attacks of the war overnight, with Kyiv as the main target and widespread damage reported across the capital.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) said strikes hit around 50 locations across all districts of Kyiv. Residential buildings, private homes, schools, shopping centres, a market, emergency service buildings, police facilities, and the National Chornobyl Museum were among the sites damaged.

At least two people were killed and more than 50 injured in Kyiv, according to officials. Survivors were evacuated from a damaged dormitory in the first minutes after the strikes, while others were pulled from burning apartment blocks.

Kyiv the main target of the attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was the primary target and confirmed that 69 people were injured in the capital. He said Russia used around 90 missiles and 600 drones, including a large number of ballistic missiles, and described residential areas, schools, and public spaces as the main targets of the attack.

He also said the strike damaged major cultural sites, including the National Museum of Chornobyl, the National Art Museum of Ukraine, and a building previously used by the German broadcaster ARD. He added that one of Kyiv’s oldest food markets was set on fire.

Zelenskyy said the attack showed deliberate strikes on civilian life, history, and memory, and stressed that accountability for Russia is essential. “It is important that this does not pass without consequences for Russia.”

Air defence intercepted 604 targets overnight 

Ukraine’s Air Force said air defence units intercepted or suppressed 604 aerial targets overnight, including 55 missiles and 549 drones. Officials said 19 additional missiles likely failed to reach their targets, with details still being clarified.

According to the Air Force, Russia launched a total of 690 aerial assets, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones of multiple types from several directions. The main axis of the attack was Kyiv.

Emergency services respond across dozens of sites 

Emergency services said rescue operations were carried out across dozens of locations using engineering units, robotic systems, and drones due to the scale of fires and structural damage. Psychological support teams assisted around 100 people, while police set up temporary stations to process damage claims.

DSNS and police units were also hit, with damage reported to district offices and regional emergency service buildings. In several locations, operators continued receiving emergency calls from shelters while fires were being extinguished above ground.

The National Chornobyl Museum, recently reopened after restoration, was also damaged, which officials described as a strike on cultural memory and history.

Oreshnik missile system used toward Bila Tserkva 

Zelenskyy also said Russia used the “Oreshnik” missile system during the attack, launching it toward Bila Tserkva in Kyiv Oblast. The system is nuclear-capable and has been used only twice before in the war. In this case, it appeared not to carry an active warhead.

He described its use alongside mass missile and drone strikes as part of continued escalation, and said it underscores the need for sustained international pressure on Russia.

Ukraine under wider attack overnight

Beyond Kyiv, casualties and damage were reported in Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Poltava oblasts. In Cherkasy, a drone strike hit a residential building, injuring more than ten people. In Kyiv Oblast, two people were killed.

Firefighting aviation and reinforcements from neighbouring regions were deployed as emergency crews continued work into the morning across the capital.