Russia Launches Major Overnight Assault on Kyiv, Killing One and Injuring 11

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Thursday, resulting in at least one death and 11 injuries, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's warning of an impending major strike.

The attack caused multiple explosions across the Ukrainian capital, damaging apartment buildings and igniting fires in several districts. Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue residents trapped in a destroyed nine-story building, while air raid sirens sounded for hours. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 11 people were hospitalized, with medical personnel among the injured after an ambulance station was hit. A hotel roof also caught fire on central Shevchenko Boulevard.

Klitschko later confirmed that Kyiv had experienced both drone attacks and a ballistic missile strike. Hours before the assault, Zelensky had urged Ukrainians to stay vigilant, citing intelligence indicating Russia had been preparing a "massive strike against Ukraine" for some time. He cut short his visit to Dublin to return to Ukraine as the threat escalated.

Many Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations as sirens began around 8 p.m. local time, bracing for another night of sustained Russian bombardment. Rescue operations continued throughout the night amidst widespread fires. This attack follows Ukraine's intensified long-range drone operations inside Russian territory, which Zelensky described as a strategy to pressure Moscow to end the war by targeting energy and military infrastructure. Recent Ukrainian drone strikes have hit Moscow and a major oil refinery in the Moscow region.

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That is exactly the threat we are facing tonight