Russian drones hit Kyiv overnight

Russian drone strikes on Kyiv overnight killed four people, injured at least 19 and caused extensive damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure, officials said. The attacks began shortly before midnight and prompted a five-hour air alert as air defenses engaged dozens of incoming drones. Despite numerous interceptions, falling debris and some direct impacts sparked fires across multiple districts and left several high-rise apartments, warehouses and vehicles ablaze.

Two apartment blocks on the east bank of the Dnipro River were among the hardest hit. In one incident, a suburban building was struck by two drones in succession; an emergency medic who had responded to the scene was killed and four members of the same response crew were wounded. Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the head of the capital’s military administration reported that 14 of the injured were receiving hospital treatment. Firefighters worked for hours to extinguish blazes and rescue residents trapped in rubble, while police cordoned off damaged neighborhoods to secure the sites.

Officials said the strikes damaged critical infrastructure, causing disruptions to water and power supplies in some districts, and forcing authorities to urge residents to remain in shelters until the all-clear. Kyiv’s air force said Russia launched dozens of attack drones toward Kyiv and other regions; many were shot down, but remaining debris and direct hits still inflicted significant civilian harm and property destruction. Emergency services responded to multiple incidents triggered by explosions and falling wreckage, and recovery teams continued damage assessments into the morning, warning the casualty toll could rise.

A separate Russian strike was reported against an infrastructure target in the western Lviv region, highlighting the geographically broad scope of the aerial campaign. Ukrainian officials condemned the attacks as deliberate strikes on civilians and civilian objects and renewed appeals for stronger air-defense support from Western allies. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for enhanced defenses to counter persistent drone and missile threats that place major cities far from front-line combat at risk.

Moscow denies targeting civilians, insisting its operations focus on military objectives; however Ukrainian authorities and independent monitors have documented repeated damage to residential areas in recent drone and missile attacks. The latest strikes underscore the continued strain on Ukraine’s air defenses and the enduring danger posed to urban populations and infrastructure across the country.