Russia launched its most severe attacks on Ukraine’s capital in nine months early on Thursday, just hours after US President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for negatively affecting peace negotiations.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Moscow fired 70 missiles and 145 drones, primarily targeting Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the assault resulted in at least eight fatalities, hitting 13 sites in Kyiv, including residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Earlier, Ukraine’s emergency services had reported nine deaths and over 60 injuries.
This attack marks the most devastating since July 2024, which killed 33 people during strikes on a hospital and residential areas.
Authorities indicated that more victims might be trapped under debris, with ongoing search and rescue efforts to locate them.
Russia’s defense ministry stated it conducted a comprehensive strike using precision weapons from air, land, and sea, targeting Ukrainian industries related to aviation, missiles, space, and mechanical engineering, as well as facilities producing rocket fuel and gunpowder.
“The strike objectives were achieved. All targets were hit,” Moscow said.
In response to the attacks, Zelensky cut his trip to South Africa short to return to Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of global awareness of the situation and announcing plans to bolster air defenses with international support.
“It is extremely important that everyone around the world sees and understands what is really happening,” he stated, noting that Ukraine would promptly reach out to its international allies to enhance its air defense capabilities.
“It has been 44 days since Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire and a halt to strikes. This was a proposal from the United States. And it has been 44 days of Russia continuing to kill our people and evading tough pressure and accountability for its actions,” Zelensky shared on social media.
CNN producers in Kyiv reported hearing air raid sirens for approximately six hours early Thursday. One producer described sheltering in a corridor with their child during the onslaught.
Air raid sirens are commonplace in Kyiv, yet Thursday’s strikes starkly reminded residents of the early days of the war. Emergency services provided images showing buildings on fire from the attacks.
In the Sviatoshyn district, teams of engineers, rescue workers, and dogs searched for survivors believed to be trapped under a destroyed home, as stated by Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
Klymenko also mentioned the tragic situation regarding two missing children at the scene.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had urged the public to seek shelter, later announcing that it was safe to emerge.
Klymenko also noted on Telegram that rescue operations were being conducted manually to avoid harming potential survivors under the debris.
Ukraine’s emergency services reported that 42 individuals, including six children, were hospitalized due to the strikes.
Klymenko described the incidents as part of a broader Russian assault that targeted eight Ukrainian regions.
The Air Force reported that five ballistic missiles breached Ukraine’s defenses during the attack.
The recent conflicts between Trump and Zelensky escalated over Crimea’s status, which Russia annexed in 2014. The US proposed acknowledging Russian control over Crimea in a new peace initiative.
This proposal contradicts longstanding US policies and the post-World War II agreement against altering international borders by force.
Zelensky maintained that accepting this would violate Ukraine’s constitution, expressing staunch opposition.
Trump accused Zelensky of disrupting peace efforts, describing his stance as detrimental.
The tensions rose further when Vice President JD Vance, during a trip to India, expressed frustration with the ongoing negotiations, pressing for a decisive response from both sides.
