Deadly Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv Again

At least eight people, including a 12-year-old girl, were killed in Kyiv after Russia launched one of its largest overnight drone and missile attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2022.

Ukrainian emergency services said the victims were found under the rubble of a heavily damaged apartment building in the capital. Rescue teams are still searching for at least 20 people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Authorities confirmed that 45 people were injured in the strikes, including two children. Kyiv officials also declared Friday a day of mourning following the deadly attack.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia fired more than 670 drones and 56 missiles across the country overnight.

The attacks reportedly targeted over 180 locations throughout Ukraine, including more than 50 residential buildings and several civilian facilities.

Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 1,560 drones against Ukrainian cities since Tuesday night, describing the latest assault as evidence that Moscow was not seeking an end to the war.

Following an emergency meeting with military and security officials, the Ukrainian leader stated that air defence systems intercepted around 93% of the drones and 73% of the missiles.

However, he admitted that defending against Russian ballistic missiles remains a major challenge for Ukraine.

Zelensky renewed calls for additional air defence support from allies, particularly more US-made Patriot missile systems capable of intercepting ballistic attacks.

The European Union strongly condemned the strikes, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accusing Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.

She announced that the EU was finalising a €6 billion support package focused on drones while also preparing tougher sanctions against Russia’s economy.

In Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, rescue workers continued operations at a partially collapsed nine-storey apartment building.

Police confirmed that two men aged 21 and 30, along with an unidentified woman, were among those killed after the building’s entrance was destroyed.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the body of a 12-year-old girl was also recovered from nearby rubble.

Another victim later died in hospital after a petrol station came under attack during the strikes.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than 1,500 rescuers and police officers had been deployed across the country following the attacks, with nearly 600 working in Kyiv alone.

Dozens of residents were rescued alive from the damaged apartment block, while emergency crews continued clearing debris and searching for missing people.

The strikes also damaged schools, residential buildings, veterinary clinics and parts of the city’s infrastructure, including sections of Kyiv’s water supply system.

Outside the destroyed buildings, shocked residents gathered under temporary tents provided by volunteers and local authorities.

One resident, Iryna Movchan, said she had recently returned to Ukraine after spending more than two years abroad.

“The entire building was shaking. It was terrifying,” she said while rescue teams searched nearby rubble.

The overnight attacks also affected several other regions across Ukraine. Zelensky said seven people were injured in the Kyiv region, 28 in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and two more in the Odesa region.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called for urgent international assistance to strengthen the country’s air defence systems.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urged US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Russia to end the war.

The attacks came only days after a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States expired on Monday. Both Russia and Ukraine had accused each other of violating the temporary truce.

Russia resumed large-scale attacks shortly after the ceasefire ended. Ukrainian officials said major assaults on Tuesday and Wednesday had already killed several civilians before the latest bombardment.

In a separate development, a Kyiv court ordered 60 days of pretrial detention for Andriy Yermak, a former close adviser to Zelensky, in connection with a corruption investigation.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies accuse Yermak of involvement in a money-laundering scheme linked to a luxury construction project near Kyiv valued at more than $10 million.

Yermak denied all allegations and described the accusations as politically motivated. He also said he planned to appeal the court’s decision.