Four Killed as Russia Unleashes Major Missile, Drone Attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine, killing at least four people and injuring dozens in and around the capital, Kyiv, authorities said on Sunday.

According to Ukrainian officials, the barrage involved about 600 drones and 90 missiles, making it one of the largest coordinated aerial attacks in recent months.

AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing multiple explosions throughout the early hours of Sunday as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming projectiles.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that two people were killed in the capital while several others sustained injuries. Authorities in the surrounding Kyiv region also reported two deaths.

Ukraine’s air force said air defence systems successfully intercepted 549 drones and 55 missiles during the attack.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia fired a nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile during the assault, alongside other advanced ballistic and cruise missiles.

“Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools, and he launched his ‘Oreshnik’ against Bila Tserkva,” Zelensky said on Telegram.

“They are genuinely deranged,” he added.

Russia later confirmed the use of the Oreshnik missile and described the attack as retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian-controlled territory.

In a statement, Russia’s defence ministry said the strikes involved Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Tsirkon cruise missiles.

The attacks caused widespread damage across Kyiv, with fires reported in residential buildings, schools and business centres. Emergency shelters and underground metro stations were filled with residents seeking safety during the bombardment.

Authorities also reported injuries in several other regions, including Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Dnipropetrovsk.

The assault follows a recent Ukrainian drone strike on Starobilsk in occupied eastern Ukraine, which Moscow claimed killed at least 18 people after hitting a dormitory building. Ukraine denied targeting civilians, insisting it struck a Russian drone unit operating in the area.

Tensions have continued to escalate as both sides intensify drone and missile attacks amid stalled international efforts to negotiate an end to the war.