Kyiv woke up to burning buildings, shattered homes, and rescue crews searching through rubble after Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight. Ukrainian officials say civilians, including children, were among those killed as the capital endured another devastating night of war.
The explosions started before dawn.
For hours, the sound of air defence systems echoed across Kyiv as residents rushed into shelters, hoping the next blast would not land in their neighbourhood.
By sunrise, parts of the city were covered in smoke.
At least 13 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after Russia launched a large-scale overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strikes hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure across the city, forcing emergency evacuations and leaving rescue workers searching through damaged buildings.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 74 missiles and 496 drones during the assault, with Kyiv being the main target.
Although Ukrainian air defences intercepted many of the incoming weapons, officials said 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones still struck 33 different locations.
“The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians,” Kyiv’s military administration chief, Tymur Tkachenko, said.
He added that children were among the large number of casualties.
BBC journalists in Kyiv reported hearing repeated explosions throughout the night as air defence systems lit up the sky.
By around 3:30 am local time, at least 10 major strikes had been heard across the capital, with fires breaking out in several districts.
When daylight arrived, the scale of the destruction became clearer.
Cars had been reduced to burnt-out shells. Buildings were left badly damaged, while a large crater marked one of the impact sites.
A hotel on one of Kyiv’s central boulevards caught fire, while an ambulance station was also damaged, leaving at least one person critically injured.
Rescue teams continued working through the morning, searching apartment blocks and collapsed buildings for survivors trapped beneath the debris.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said 34 people had already been rescued, but operations were continuing in several parts of the city.
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Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha appealed to Ukraine’s allies for more military support, saying stronger air defence systems were urgently needed.
“We need not only words of condemnation but concrete action to stop Russian terror,” Sybiha wrote on X.
He also urged Ukraine’s partners to increase sanctions on Russia.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, described another sleepless night for residents.
“Another horrific night for the residents of the city, who were forced to spend it in shelters,” she wrote.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed carrying out overnight strikes but said its targets were military and energy facilities.
According to Russian officials, the attacks were launched in response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian power stations stretching from Moscow to the Black Sea.
The assault came just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that fresh intelligence suggested Russia was preparing a major attack.
Before cutting short a visit to Dublin, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to remain vigilant.
“I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families,” he said.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now.”
The latest bombardment is the first major missile and drone assault on Ukraine in more than two weeks, but it comes as fighting on the ground continues across several fronts.
Russian forces have recently pushed closer to the eastern city of Kostyantynivka, while Ukrainian commanders say their troops have also managed to regain territory and disrupt Russian supply routes linking the border with occupied Crimea.
Despite those shifting frontlines, much of the war remains locked in a brutal stalemate.
More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, around one-fifth of Ukraine remains under Russian control.
And for many families in Kyiv, another night spent in underground shelters is a reminder that even when the frontlines seem far away, the war can still arrive at their doorstep without warning.
