Russia Launches Major Attack on Kyiv, Other Cities; Moscow Cites 'Terrorist Response'

Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities endured a severe Russian assault overnight, with Ukrainian media reporting at least 13 fatalities and 86 injuries. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the widespread strikes were a direct response to alleged "terrorist attacks" carried out by the Ukrainian regime targeting civilian infrastructure within Russia.

The barrage of missiles and drones hit Kyiv just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning that Russia was preparing for a new, large-scale offensive. Zelenskyy had cut short a visit to Dublin, citing intelligence about the impending Russian strike. According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, 86 people were injured in the capital, with 70 requiring hospitalization. The attacks caused significant damage, destroying residential buildings, damaging a hotel in the city center, and igniting multi-story structures. Rescue efforts were underway as people remained trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The Russian Ministry of Defense detailed that its armed forces utilized high-precision, long-range weapons and strike drones against military industry and energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region. Additionally, attacks were reported on military airfields across Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. The ministry also stated that strikes targeted fuel depots used by the Ukrainian military and a logistics center responsible for storing and delivering drones in the Mykolaiv region.

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as a response to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure.