Russia launches large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv, killing at least 18 as Kyiv officials report more deaths

Russia carried out a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight into Thursday, hitting multiple locations across the city and killing at least 18 people, according to early reporting from NPR and subsequent updates from Kyiv officials. The attack used a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, local authorities said, while emergency services and local leadership urged residents to remain in shelters as strikes continued into the morning.

By the time of later updates, Kyiv officials described the barrage as the most extensive attack on the capital in recent months or years, with the city mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, saying it was the “most massive attack” on Kyiv. The BBC, citing Ukrainian officials, reported at least 22 deaths and 85 injuries, including two children, as rescue crews assessed damaged apartment buildings and other structures.

Ukrainian officials said the strikes occurred shortly after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing an attack. Kyiv’s State Emergencies Service and city authorities said the city’s response included expanded sheltering, with Kyiv’s metro authorities reporting that 52,500 people, including 4,500 children, sheltered in underground stations overnight, calling it the highest number in “recent years.”

Klitschko said the attack hit residential areas across the city, and Kyiv’s military administration head Tymur Tkachenko described deliberate targeting of residential neighborhoods and civilian areas. BBC reporting said the ambulance station was among the facilities struck, and it also reported damage to a high-rise apartment building in the Darnitskyi district on the left bank, where missiles caused severe destruction near a kindergarten.

Moscow characterized the attack as retaliation, stating its forces struck what it called military targets in response to prior strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would “continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals,” according to BBC reporting, while Ukrainian officials reiterated that Kyiv would not accept an equivalence between actions against civilian areas and self-defense.

As of Thursday, Ukrainian emergency services continued assessing the aftermath, with local officials reporting casualties and injuries while responders worked at multiple sites. Kyiv’s sheltering capacity and emergency logistics, including the metro stations used as overnight protection, became part of the immediate public response as the city tallied deaths, injuries, and damage.

Ukrainian officials did not provide a single confirmed figure that matched all outlets at the time of publication, and casualty totals were described as evolving. Authorities said they would continue updates as they verify identifications and injuries and as rescue teams reach areas affected by the barrage.

The attack underscores the ongoing scale of Russia’s strike campaigns on Ukrainian urban areas, including Kyiv, where the civilian burden includes mass sheltering, emergency medical capacity, and the repair of damaged residential housing. For Kyiv residents, the next steps are likely to focus on identifying victims, supporting injured people, and restoring essential services after overnight strikes across multiple neighborhoods.