This bombardment also precedes a NATO summit in Turkey this week, during which US President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to renew efforts to conclude the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Emergency crews were working to rescue residents from buildings devastated by the overnight strike, according to Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko in a post on Telegram.
Klitschko reported that the death toll in the capital has risen to 11, with 46 individuals wounded across the city.
Ukraine’s air force indicated that Russia launched 68 missiles, among them 23 ballistic and six super and hypersonic missiles, along with 351 drones in this assault. Air force units managed to intercept or neutralize 37 missiles and 326 drones, though none of the ballistic, super, or hypersonic missiles were stopped, according to air force data.
Ukraine has frequently stated it lacks enough interceptors for its Patriot defense system, which is the only effective measure against incoming ballistic projectiles.
This assault occurred just days after a Russian attack on the capital resulted in 31 deaths early Thursday—making it the deadliest strike on the city this year.
’SHE’S SO KIND’
At least 15 residential structures were either damaged or destroyed, including a nine-story building in the historic Podilskyi district, which suffered extensive damage from the fifth floor upwards, according to emergency services.
Officials reported that four residential buildings were targeted in the Podilskyi district alone. This district, along with the eastern Darnytskyi area, was at the center of the strikes, according to the General Prosecutor’s office. Damage was also noted in two additional city districts.
In the Podilskyi district, rescue teams sifted through the debris as smoke billowed from an apartment block with a large gap in its upper floors, as shown in footage from Reuters television.
Emergency personnel used ladder trucks to access upper levels while firefighters fought persistent flames. A 22-year-old named Alyona anxiously awaited news about her 19-year-old friend Vika, who was unaccounted for following the assault.
”We’re just waiting here until they find them … She’s so kind, only 19 years old. She’s such a nice girl,” Alyona said to Reuters, stifling tears as she observed the rescue effort from a nearby playground.
BARRAGE OF MISSILES AND DRONES
The Russian defense ministry declared a ”massive” offensive targeting Ukraine’s capital and other regions using a combination of long-range, high-precision weapons and drones. They also reported strikes on military and energy facilities in Kyiv and surrounding areas, as well as attacks on military airfields in various other Ukrainian regions.
Witnesses from Reuters noted multiple explosions in and around the capital, corroborating that air defenses were engaged against Russian drones.
One additional fatality and 15 injuries were reported in the surrounding Kyiv region, with the southern Black Sea port of Odesa also facing an attack that left at least one person hurt, according to local officials.
Poland, a NATO and EU member, briefly scrambled fighter jets as a precautionary measure.
Ukraine conducted its drone strikes on Russia, impacting the Baltic Sea ports of Vysotsk and Ust-Luga, a significant oil export route, as per Russian authorities on Monday. Ukrainian incursions also caused a power outage in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
