KYIV — Russian forces launched a major drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital overnight, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 30 others, officials said on Thursday. Children were among the casualties, according to Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration. The strikes hit residential areas across the city, setting a hotel ablaze on a central boulevard, damaging an ambulance station, and striking a high-rise apartment building in the south-east of the capital. Rescue operations are ongoing, with 34 people so far pulled from the rubble.

The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short a visit to Dublin, warning that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a “massive” strike. “The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians,” Tkachenko said. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it had targeted energy facilities in response to recent Ukrainian strikes. It marks the first large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv in more than two weeks.

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What Happened

The BBC team in Kyiv reported loud explosions throughout the night. By 3:30 local time, journalists had counted 10 significant strikes. Tracer fire from air defence systems lit up the sky, followed by explosions. Multiple fires broke out across the city.

By daylight, images showed a crater apparently caused by an explosion, smouldering cars, and bombed-out debris. Firefighters were battling a blaze at a hotel on a central boulevard. An ambulance station was damaged, leaving at least one person critically injured. Strikes also hit a high-rise apartment building and homes in the south-east of the city.

Ukraine’s state emergency service confirmed 13 people had been killed and more than 30 injured. Thirty-four people had been rescued from damaged buildings by Thursday morning. Tkachenko said there was a “significant number” of casualties, including children.

According to Ukraine’s state emergency service casualty figures and Kyiv military administration statements, rescue operations were continuing at multiple sites across the city.

As our coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the targeting of civilian infrastructure has documented, residential areas of Ukrainian cities have been struck repeatedly throughout the conflict.

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Zelensky’s Warning

Zelensky cut short his visit to Dublin on Wednesday after receiving intelligence that Moscow was planning the attack. “I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families,” he said.

The Ukrainian president added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now.” The public warning was unusual—governments typically do not announce that they expect to be attacked, as doing so can reveal intelligence capabilities. It appeared designed to mobilise the population to take shelter and to frame the coming attack as premeditated Russian aggression.

Ukraine’s US ambassador, Olha Stefanishyna, wrote on X: “Another horrific night for the residents of the city, who were forced to spend it in shelters. Fires and the destruction of civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in several districts of the city.”

According to Zelensky’s statements from Dublin and subsequent Ukrainian government communications, the president’s decision to go public with the intelligence warning reflected the scale of the expected attack.

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The Wider Conflict

Russia’s Ministry of Defence, quoted in Russian media, said the strikes targeted Ukrainian defence and energy infrastructure in response to recent attacks on Russian power stations. Ukraine has increasingly struck Russian oil refineries and energy facilities, extending its reach from Moscow to the Black Sea. The attacks have led to a rare public admission by Putin that Russia is facing fuel shortages.

While missiles struck Kyiv, Russian ground forces continued their advance into Kostyantynivka, one of Ukraine’s last major defensive positions in the east. Securing the city would provide Moscow with a gateway to the entire Donbas region. Ukrainian commanders say they have recaptured more territory this year than they have lost, disrupting Russian supply lines between the border and occupied Crimea.

The ground war has been largely static for months, with both sides entrenched and neither capable of achieving a decisive breakthrough. Russia controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, most of it seized in the first months of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

As our analysis of the ground war stalemate and the shift toward infrastructure targeting has tracked, the conflict has increasingly migrated from the front lines to the energy infrastructure that sustains civilian life and economic activity. Both sides have demonstrated the ability to damage the other’s power grids and fuel supplies.

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FAQ

How many people were killed in the Kyiv attack?

At least 13 people have been confirmed dead and more than 30 injured. Thirty-four people have been rescued from damaged buildings. Children are among the casualties.

What did Russia say about the strikes?

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it targeted Ukrainian energy and defence infrastructure in response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian power stations.

Did Ukraine have a warning of the attack?

Yes. President Zelensky cut short a visit to Dublin on Wednesday and warned the public that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a “massive” attack.

When was the last large-scale Russian strike on Kyiv?

The attack is the first large-scale missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian capital in more than two weeks.

What is the situation on the ground in the east?

Russian forces have advanced into Kostyantynivka, one of Ukraine’s last key defensive positions in the east. If Moscow secures the city, it will open a gateway to the Donbas region. The broader ground war has been largely static for months.