Kyiv: Russia launched a significant overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to 16 others. This assault coincided with Ukraine’s announcement of strikes on two Russian-affiliated oil tankers in the Black Sea.
According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia’s attack on Kyiv involved more than 40 missiles of various types and 120 attack drones, marking one of the most extensive ballistic missile assaults on the capital. Ukraine’s air force confirmed that 41 missiles and 125 drones were launched, primarily targeting Kyiv.
The military stated that air defenses successfully intercepted 18 missiles and 108 drones. However, 23 missiles and 10 drones managed to hit 20 locations, while debris from intercepted projectiles affected 18 other sites. The attack involved 25 Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles, 10 Zircon hypersonic missiles, three Onyx anti-ship missiles, three Kh-59/69 guided missiles, and 125 Shahed-type and other attack drones.
Explosions reverberated throughout Kyiv during the night as air defenses engaged the incoming threats. Ukrainian authorities reported damage in six districts, affecting apartment buildings, a shopping and entertainment center, a supermarket, and other civilian infrastructure.
Zelenskyy noted that emergency crews were still operational at three sites, with nearly 600 first responders deployed. Damage was also reported in the Odesa region, with Russian attacks affecting several other regions across Ukraine this week.
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described the barrage as the largest use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine since the war’s escalation in February 2022. He called for “devastating pressure” on Moscow to halt the attacks.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it targeted military infrastructure, including a logistics center for weapon components, missile part production facilities, a drone component warehouse in Kyiv, and fuel depots and port infrastructure near Odesa. Concurrently, Ukraine’s General Staff reported striking two oil tankers and a floating crane in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, which were purportedly supporting Russia’s military operations.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a Russia-Kazakh joint venture, condemned Ukraine’s strike on the oil tankers, asserting that the vessels were engaged in “legitimate” business. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry announced a comprehensive assessment of the damage and reserved the right to seek full compensation under international law.
Previous drone strikes on oil assets along Russia’s Black Sea coast heightened diplomatic tension between Ukraine and Kazakhstan, highlighting Kazakhstan’s reliance on a single oil pipeline for exports.
The recent strikes follow a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia, targeting logistics centers in the Moscow and Tambov regions. Zelenskyy claimed these facilities supplied sanctioned components for Russian drone production and navigation equipment.
Russian officials reported one fatality in the Kursk region due to the Ukrainian attack, while the Russian Health Ministry stated that 10 individuals injured in Tambov’s logistics center strike would be transferred to specialized medical centers in Moscow for treatment.