Russia’s attack on Ukraine (Zelensky
Russia launched its deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year early Thursday, killing at least 27 people, wounding 91 others, and damaging about 130 buildings across the city.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight.Thick plumes of smoke covered parts of Kiev, while emergency crews worked to extinguish the fires and search for survivors trapped under the collapsed buildings, according to Reuters.One of the worst-hit sites was a nine-storey apartment building on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, where a missile penetrated the building, destroying 64 apartments.
Zelensky is seeking more support in the field of air defenseUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short his visit to Ireland and returned to Kyiv to inspect the damage. During his visit to the partially collapsed apartment building, he blamed delayed delivery of Western air defense systems for the extent of the destruction.
“It is important that our partners do not stand idly by and watch as human lives are destroyed,” Zelensky wrote.The Ukrainian air force said the overnight attack involved an unusually large number of ballistic missiles, while acknowledging that a shortage of Patriot interceptors had led to low interception rates.
Russia says it responded to the Ukrainian attacksMoscow claimed the strikes targeted Ukrainian military facilities, energy infrastructure and airports in Kiev and other regions, saying the operation was a response to recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia.Ukraine had earlier struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region during the night.The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the attacks and indicated that Russia would continue to intensify military pressure to achieve its goals in Ukraine.Global condemnationThe recent bombing sparked swift international condemnation.UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the strikes as part of a “deadly pattern” of attacks on populated areas, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc would propose new sanctions on entities that support the Russian military-industrial complex.The attack represents the deadliest attack on Kiev in 2026 and highlights the escalating conflict, as both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up long-range attacks deep into each other’s territory.
