Russian strike on Kyiv: A large-scale missile and drone attack killed nine and injured 63, including six children, authorities report. The devastating attack struck the Ukrainian capital around 1:00 a.m., causing widespread damage across multiple districts.
Details of the Attack and the Damage
Russia used both drones and ballistic missiles, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration, which verified the strike on its official Telegram channel. At least four Kyiv neighborhoods were impacted, and the Sviatoshynkskyi district reported the worst damage. Fires broke out in several residential buildings, and rescue operations continued through Thursday morning as teams searched for survivors in the rubble.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that at least 42 people were hospitalized, with many receiving treatment for various injuries. The city remains on high alert, and emergency workers are still working to rescue individuals trapped under collapsed buildings.
Eyewitness Accounts
Oksana Bilozir, a student who witnessed the attack, sustained injuries from flying debris. She recalled hearing a loud explosion after the air alarm sounded and then quickly grabbing her belongings to seek shelter. Another explosion soon followed, causing her home’s walls to crumble and the lights to go out. “I honestly don’t even know how this will all end, it’s very scary,” Bilozir said, expressing the ongoing fear among Kyiv residents.
Tensions Amid Stalled Peace Talks
The attack occurred just hours after peace negotiations appeared to stall, following tense statements from President Donald Trump regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy came under fire from Trump for refusing to accept the handover of Crimea to Russia as part of a possible peace deal. Ukraine would never acknowledge the Russian control of Crimea, Zelenskyy has said on several occasions.
Zelenskyy has remained steadfast in his position throughout the conflict, asserting that diplomacy can’t succeed unless Russia stops its aggression on the battlefield. “No diplomacy works here,” said Anastasiia Zhuravlova, a mother of two, who sheltered with her family in a basement after multiple blasts damaged their home.
Ongoing Strikes Across Kyiv
Fires broke out in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivsky and Holosiivskyi districts, and emergency services worked to extinguish them. Rescue operations continue, but the full extent of the destruction remains unclear.
Source: AP News
