KYIV — Russian missile and drone strikes rocked Kyiv early Thursday morning, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens more, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive attack."
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Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, with missile and drone strikes since launching its invasion of the neighboring country in February 2022, a conflict that has evolved into Europe's deadliest since World War II.
The assault followed warnings from the Ukrainian Air Force regarding incoming ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy had cut short his visit to Dublin on Wednesday after receiving intelligence reports indicating an imminent strike on his country.
Journalists in central and eastern Kyiv heard more than a dozen explosions and witnessed residents—some with children and pets—rushing into metro stations used as bomb shelters.
"The death toll from the Russian attack has risen to eight people," Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, stated on Telegram. He added that 25 others, including children, were injured, condemning the deliberate targeting of residential areas and civilians.
Photos released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine following the attacks showed widespread destruction at a residential complex.
"Kyiv is under attack by ballistic missiles and drones, with explosions echoing across the entire city," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. Earlier separate statements by the mayor and city authorities noted that the strikes had initially killed one person and injured 11.
Mykola Kalashnyk, governor of the Kyiv region, reported on Telegram that the assault—carried out using "drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles"—sparked fires and damaged buildings across the region. He stated that emergency crews were battling blazes in warehouses and a residential home in the Bucha district, while other houses, a student dormitory, and vehicles were damaged elsewhere.
Earlier, an AFP journalist heard an explosion and saw a cloud of smoke and flames, as fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene. Roughly 50 minutes after the initial blast, journalists witnessed a second explosion near the first site, sending debris flying into the air.
Meanwhile, some residents described the hardship of sleeping on the hard floors of metro stations.
"It's hard. My child is used to sleeping in complete silence and total darkness... but here she's constantly distracted," said Katerina Kucheriava, 32. "The lights are bright, dogs are barking, and there are other children around. This is our reality."
"Take Shelter"
President Zelenskyy had previously announced on Wednesday that he would cut short his visit to Dublin to rush back home after intelligence indicated Russia was poised to launch a "massive attack."
"I urge our people to be extremely cautious, protect themselves, their children, and of course their families, and take shelter," he told a press conference, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has been preparing for this massive attack against Ukraine for a long time."
In response, Ukraine has stepped up its own long-range drone strikes deep inside Russian territory in recent weeks, targeting energy infrastructure and military sites. Russian officials reported frequent strikes in border areas, while Moscow claimed its air defenses intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian-launched drones over the past few days.
A study published Wednesday by the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused more than two million military casualties.
"The total number of casualties among Russian and Ukrainian forces has surpassed two million," the American research center stated. It estimated that between 400,000 and 450,000 Russians have been killed since Moscow began its invasion, out of a total of 1.4 million Russian casualties, including killed, wounded, and missing. Conversely, the center noted that during the same period, Ukrainian forces suffered between 125,000 and 150,000 fatalities, alongside 525,000 to 625,000 wounded.
US peace efforts have so far failed to broker an end to Europe's worst conflict since World War II.
"The Russian president categorically refuses to end the war," Zelenskyy posted Wednesday on X. He added, "Even though we have conveyed through all possible official and unofficial channels that the war can and must end, and that we in Ukraine are ready for serious meetings and negotiations, he sees only further aggression against Ukraine, other neighboring countries, and the whole of Europe."
(AFP)
