Air-raid alerts were issued repeatedly throughout the night as Ukrainian authorities warned that missiles were heading towards Kyiv and urged residents to remain in shelters
By Moses Okorie
At least eight people have been killed and 33 others injured after Russia launched a fresh wave of overnight missile strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian officials said Thursday.
The attack, described by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) as a “massive attack,” struck residential apartment buildings, warehouses and industrial facilities in several areas.
Emergency responders were deployed across the capital to search damaged buildings and rescue people trapped beneath the rubble. Authorities said two survivors had so far been pulled alive from the debris, while rescue operations continued.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a children’s hospital was among the facilities damaged in the attack. The strikes shattered windows and set several vehicles on fire in the vicinity.
An industrial facility in Kyiv’s Solomyanskyi district was also hit, Klitschko said.
In the broader Kyiv region, a separate strike in the Brovary district killed one person and left another injured, regional governor Tymur Tkachenko reported.
Air-raid alerts were issued repeatedly throughout the night as Ukrainian authorities warned that missiles were heading towards Kyiv and urged residents to remain in shelters.
The strikes also disrupted electricity supplies across the region, leaving thousands of properties without power. Repair teams were mobilised to assess the damage and restore electricity to affected communities.
The attack had repercussions beyond Ukraine, with neighbouring Romania and Poland taking defensive measures.
Romania’s Defence Ministry said a drone entered its airspace near the border with Ukraine, about 13 kilometres east of Galați. The drone later crashed in an uninhabited area, causing a small fire that was quickly put out.
No casualties or property damage were reported, and the Romanian authorities subsequently lifted the air alert.
In Poland, the military said it had launched “defensive air operations” to safeguard the country’s airspace as Russian attacks continued in neighbouring Ukraine.
Kyiv has endured repeated Russian aerial attacks in recent weeks, with previous strikes causing significant casualties, widespread destruction and damage to critical infrastructure.