Russia unleashed one of the most devastating aerial assaults of the war on Kyiv overnight, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the Ukrainian capital. The attack also included a nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
Explosions echoed across Kyiv for hours after midnight as air raid sirens blared. By sunrise, thick black smoke covered parts of the city, with firefighters still battling flames and rescue workers searching through rubble.
It was only the third reported use of the weapon since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously described the missile as nearly impossible to intercept because it reportedly travels at more than 10 times the speed of sound.
Russia later confirmed that the missile had been used.
"In response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander air-launched ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles and Tsirkon cruise missiles," Russia's defence ministry said.
According to Ukraine's air force, Russia launched around 600 drones and 90 missiles during the overnight assault. Ukrainian air defences reportedly intercepted most of them, but several managed to strike residential areas and public infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched an Oreshnik missile towards Bila Tserkva, a city roughly 64 kilometres from Kyiv. He also accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian life and basic infrastructure.
"Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools, and he launched his 'Oreshnik' against Bila Tserkva," Zelenskyy said.
"They are genuinely deranged."
As dawn broke over Kyiv, the scale of destruction became clearer.
Several residential buildings suffered heavy damage, including a five-storey apartment block whose front section partially collapsed. Authorities also reported damage to schools, business centres, warehouses and even parts of the city's metro infrastructure.
In one district, debris blocked the entrance to a school shelter, trapping civilians inside after a nearby strike.
Windows were blown out at Ukraine's Foreign Ministry building, while damage was also reported near the city's historic Independence Square.
"It was a terrible night for Kyiv," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post from one of the damaged areas.
"Right now, rescuers are putting out fires and clearing debris. Medics are providing assistance to the victims."
Beyond Kyiv, other regions across Ukraine also came under attack, including Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Sumy. Officials said civilians were wounded after drones struck apartment buildings and civilian facilities.
The latest Russian barrage came after Moscow accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone strike on a student dormitory in Starobilsk, a Russian-occupied city in eastern Ukraine. Russian authorities said at least 18 people were killed in the attack, many of them young women. Ukraine denied targeting civilians and said the strike was aimed at a Russian drone unit operating in the area.
Russia's foreign ministry had warned that those responsible would face "inevitable and severe punishment".
The Kremlin has repeatedly framed its recent missile attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes inside Russian-held territory and mainland Russia.
Meanwhile, European leaders strongly condemned the overnight bombardment and the reported use of the Oreshnik missile. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the weapon's deployment as "reckless nuclear-brinkmanship", while other Western officials warned that the conflict was entering an even more dangerous phase.
Source: India Today