Deadly Missile and Drone Strike Hits Kyiv Amid Ongoing Tensions

At least eight people were killed and more than 80 others injured, including children, in an overnight missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Ukrainian authorities reported that the large-scale attack, involving more than 200 projectiles, is one of the most severe airstrikes on the city in recent months.

According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the assault caused multiple fires, with drone wreckage reportedly igniting blazes in several areas. Emergency services are still working to rescue people feared trapped beneath the debris of a destroyed residential building. Six children and a pregnant woman are among those injured, and two children remain unaccounted for.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched approximately 70 missiles and 145 drones in the overnight strike, with 112 of the projectiles reportedly intercepted. Strikes were also reported in other areas, including the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where two people were injured and private homes were damaged.

The hardest-hit area in Kyiv was the Svyatoshynskyi district, but at least five other districts across the city experienced damage. Photos and footage shared on social media appear to show multiple explosions lighting up the night sky and causing significant damage to residential infrastructure.

The strike prompted President Volodymyr Zelensky to cut short a diplomatic visit to South Africa, where he had been seeking additional support in international efforts to end the ongoing war. He confirmed he would return to Ukraine immediately following a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ukrainian officials said the attack underscores the challenges facing any potential peace talks. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the assault showed Russia’s lack of commitment to de-escalation efforts, asserting that Moscow “only wants to continue the war.”

The attack came shortly after public remarks by former US President Donald Trump, who criticized Zelensky for opposing territorial concessions. Trump had suggested that recognizing Russian control of Crimea could help facilitate a peace deal. However, President Zelensky has consistently stated that recognizing annexed territories, such as Crimea, remains unacceptable under Ukraine’s constitution.

As search and rescue operations continue in Kyiv, the humanitarian toll of the war continues to grow. Ukrainian officials report that since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, over 13,000 civilians have been killed.

There has been no official comment from the Russian military regarding the latest strikes. Meanwhile, Russia claimed on social media that its air defense systems had intercepted dozens of Ukrainian drones over its own territory on the same night.

Thursday’s attack is the deadliest on Kyiv since July 2024, when a strike killed 34 people and wounded more than 120, including at a children’s hospital. Ukrainian authorities are urging international partners to maintain pressure on Moscow and continue providing defense support to help protect civilians from further attacks.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams using sniffer dogs and heavy machinery to locate any remaining survivors beneath the rubble.

BBC, Al Jazeera, and CBS News contributed to this report.