Russia Launches Major Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv, Killing 13 and Injuring Over 80

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least 13 and injuring 80, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The assault, which occurred hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an impending aerial strike, targeted residential areas and critical infrastructure, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the capital.

A City in Ruins: Casualties and Structural Devastation

Thirteen people were killed and more than 80 injured in Kyiv, with 70 requiring hospitalization, Klitschko reported. At least 20 residential buildings were directly struck, and nearly 100 structures across the city sustained damage, according to Svyrydenko. Search and rescue teams were operating at 15 locations, with officials warning that “people are likely still trapped beneath debris.” A high-rise apartment building’s top floors were engulfed in flames, and a nine-storey block partially collapsed, trapping residents, Klitschko said. An ambulance station and a hotel housing European diplomats were also hit, injuring first responders, including one critically.

Missile Arsenal and the Limits of Air Defense

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 74 missiles, including four Tsirkon anti-ship missiles, 24 Iskander ballistic missiles, 34 Kh-101 cruise missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles, and four Kh59/69 guided aircraft missiles, alongside 496 Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas drones. Air defenses intercepted 48 missiles and 476 drones, but the attack underscored Ukraine’s reliance on Western-supplied systems like the U.S.-made Patriot air-defense network. Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged allies to accelerate deliveries, stating that such systems are “an absolute and critical priority” for countering Russian strikes.

Zelenskyy’s Plea for Faster Aid and Local Production

Zelenskyy called on European partners to expedite funding for a procurement program enabling NATO and allies to supply Kyiv with Patriot launchers and interceptors. He also renewed requests for U.S. approval to produce Patriot missiles in Europe and Ukraine, aiming to boost local manufacturing. “We also very much count on a decision by the United States regarding licences for Patriots and other forms of co-operation,” he said. The president had warned Ukrainians days earlier to “stay safe and protect your families” ahead of the attack.

A Cycle of Retaliation: Kyiv’s Offensives and Russian Retorts

The strike occurred two weeks after a similar attack on Kyiv that damaged the 950-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk monastery and as Ukraine intensified its own drone campaign against Russian infrastructure. Kyiv’s long-range strikes have disrupted fuel supplies and targeted military logistics in Crimea, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to acknowledge “problems” with infrastructure attacks. Despite heavy casualties, Putin has insisted on advancing a ground offensive in eastern Ukraine, with Zelenskyy accusing him of “further aggression against Ukraine and other neighbours.”

The Human Toll: Trapped, Injured, and Unseen

Rescue workers scoured the wreckage of a collapsed apartment block, their efforts hampered by ongoing fires and unstable structures. As Kyiv’s hospitals filled, the city’s resilience—and its fragility—became undeniable.