Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles and attack drones overnight into Saturday, killing at least nine people in the second major assault on the Ukrainian capital in less than 48 hours. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said between 23 and 28 people were injured, including four children, as rescue operations continued through the morning, according to LIGA.net and wire reporting carried by ABC News.
The heaviest casualties were reported in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, where seven people were killed and 14 injured after strikes damaged an administrative building and ignited fires in vehicles and nearby non-residential structures, according to Kyiv Post and APA.
In the Solomianskyi district, a five-story residential building partially collapsed and caught fire, apparently after being struck by falling missile debris. Rescue teams evacuated 35 people from the upper floors. Two residents were killed and eight injured, including two children, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, as reported by AP wire coverage.
In the Shevchenkivskyi district, emergency crews extinguished a fire in a non-residential building. Klitschko’s initial report that residents were trapped in a nearby residential building was not reflected in later updates from the State Emergency Service, according to AP’s revised reporting. Kyiv Post additionally reported that the strike damaged a film studio and several ambulances, while other Ukrainian outlets covering the same location described the blaze as occurring at a car wash. The discrepancy had not been officially clarified at the time of publication.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles are limiting Kyiv’s ability to defend against ballistic attacks. LIGA.net reported the issue remained a factor during Saturday’s strike, although officials did not specify how many incoming missiles were intercepted. The specific missile types used in the attack had not been officially confirmed.
Saturday’s assault continues Russia’s sustained campaign of long-range strikes against Kyiv, combining ballistic missiles with drones in an effort to pressure Ukraine’s air defenses and inflict damage on the capital. With Western partners still struggling to expand supplies of Patriot interceptors, Ukrainian officials warn that protecting major cities against repeated ballistic attacks will remain one of the country’s most urgent military challenges.
