Russia unleashes huge bombardment of Kyiv
Attack of 74 missiles and nearly 500 drones follows Zelenskyy’s warning that Moscow is preparing ‘massive strike’
Russia launched deadly waves of missiles and attack drones against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Thursday, shortly after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an impending large-scale aerial assault. Dozens of building-shaking blasts reverberated across the capital Kyiv, sending residents dashing to bomb shelters and underground metro stations shortly after midnight. Thirteen people were killed in Kyiv and more than 80 were injured, 70 of them requiring hospitalisation, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said “at least 20 residential buildings were struck directly” in the attack. In total, nearly 100 buildings across the capital sustained damage. Svyrydenko said search and rescue teams continued operations at 15 locations. “Tragically, people are likely still trapped beneath debris,” she said. The top floors of a high-rise apartment building were engulfed in flames and a nine-storey apartment block had partially collapsed after taking a direct missile strike, trapping residents, Klitschko said.
An ambulance station was also hit, injuring several first responders, including one critically. A hotel in the city centre, where several European diplomats and expats were living, was among those on fire, according to people familiar with the matter. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia fired 74 missiles at Kyiv and other cities in eastern and southern Ukraine during the bombardment, including four Tsirkon anti-ship missiles, 24 Iskander ballistic missiles, 34 Kh-101 cruise missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles and four Kh59/69 guided aircraft missiles. It also reported that 496 Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas attack drones were used, along with several decoys. Air defences managed to intercept 48 missiles and 476 drones.
Russia has increased its production and use of ballistic missiles in combination with drone attacks, exploiting Ukraine’s lack of Patriot air-defence systems. The US-made systems and interceptor missiles are the only weapons in Kyiv’s arsenal capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, and Zelenskyy has pleaded for months for more Patriots from Ukraine’s western partners. “Air defence supplies for Ukraine are an absolute and critical priority,” the Ukrainian president said on Thursday morning.
He called on European partners to make new contributions to a procurement programme that allows Nato and partners to buy US weapons systems for Kyiv, including Patriot launchers and interceptors. He also said it was “especially important” that Ukraine’s partners “move forward with implementing our agreements on the production of anti-ballistic capabilities”. Zelenskyy has sought licences from the US to produce Patriot interceptor missiles inside Europe and Ukraine to be able to expand production and manufacture them closer to where they are needed in Kyiv. He renewed his plea to Washington on Thursday. “We also very much count on a decision by the United States regarding licences for Patriots and other forms of co-operation,” he said On Wednesday, he warned Ukrainians “to be especially careful — stay safe and protect your families and children — be sure to take shelter and pay attention to air-raid alerts in Ukraine”.
“We know that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been preparing a massive strike against Ukraine for some time,” Zelenskyy said as he wrapped up a visit to Ireland. “That is exactly the threat we are facing tonight.” The full extent of the casualties was not immediately known but Klitschko said emergency services were responding to several sites where residents were believed to be trapped inside buildings and under rubble. People take shelter in a metro station in Kyiv during a Russian aerial assault early on Thursday © Alina Smutko/Reuters The onslaught came two weeks after another strike on Kyiv that killed at least five people and damaged the 950-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk monastery.
It also came as Ukraine has intensified its own drone campaign against oil and gas infrastructure and military targets inside Russia and occupied Crimea. Zelenskyy said last week that Ukraine was launching “a 40-day influence operation” to be carried out by Kyiv’s long-range strike units “aimed at compelling [Russia] to end the war”. Those long-range drone attacks have brought the Kremlin’s war closer to home and caused fuel shortages across Russia.
Putin conceded this week that the “strikes on our infrastructure sites are creating problems”. An escalating Ukrainian middle-strike drone campaign targeting Russian military logistics, depots and supply lines in southern Ukraine on the Crimean peninsula has also stifled Moscow’s ground forces. Putin said he would not back down from his maximalist objectives in the war, insisting that Russian forces would press ahead with a grinding ground offensive in eastern Ukraine, despite suffering heavy casualties. “Russia’s head is completely refusing to end the war,” Zelenskyy said of Putin late on Wednesday. “He sees only further aggression against Ukraine and against other neighbours and Europe as a whole.”