Russia unleashed 440 drones and 32 missiles on Kyiv overnight.
Kyiv was turned into a warzone on Tuesday night after Russia launched one of the most intense aerial attacks in almost a year. Over 400 kamikaze drones and missiles were fired toward the capital in a coordinated overnight assault, killing at least 28 people and leaving 134 others wounded, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported 440 drones and 32 missiles in total, out of which 428 were intercepted. Unfortunately, a few broke through the air defence systems and struck residential buildings, including a high-rise in Solomyanskyi district, which collapsed partially, burying families inside.
Residents caught in the chaos shared chilling accounts of the horror. Victoria, who had fled from Luhansk in 2014, said nothing she had experienced prepared her for this night.
“It was the first time I truly feared for my life,” she said.
Another resident, Oleksandr Ustenko, told how his family barely escaped:
“The walls started shaking… our house caught fire. My apartment and car are gone.”
By morning, 23 bodies had already been retrieved from the wreckage, with more people still feared trapped under debris.
Among those who died was a 62-year-old American citizen, confirmed by Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and later by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. offered condolences and promised support to the victim’s family.
Vitaliy Klitschko also reported severe damage to infrastructure, including roads, power lines, and public utilities. Some districts remained without electricity by morning.
Russia’s Changing Strategy Raises Concern
While Russia’s Defence Ministry insisted the strikes were aimed at military production sites, images and reports from both Ukrainian and UN officials revealed clear hits on residential blocks and civilian locations.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission noted that this was the fourth mass attack this month using over 400 munitions, signalling a possible tactical shift by Moscow toward overwhelming Ukraine’s defence systems with high-volume assaults.
Emergency teams and volunteers are still combing through the rubble in search of survivors. Officials have warned that the death toll may continue to rise as rescue efforts intensify.
Ukraine’s leaders condemned the attack, calling for increased international support to boost their air defence capabilities.
The latest strike paints a grim picture of what may lie ahead, as both sides dig deeper into one of Europe’s most devastating wars in modern history.
