9-storey apartment building collapses in Kiev after Russian attack; Rescue operation underway
Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, early Thursday, triggering several explosions, fires and the partial collapse of a nine-story apartment building, according to Ukrainian officials.Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a nine-storey residential building in the Desnyansky district partially collapsed after a direct hit, leaving people trapped inside. He added that emergency teams were conducting rescue operations and urged residents to remain in shelters.The mayor said that at least 11 people were injured in the attack. In the Holosiyevsky district, the roof of a multi-storey residential building caught fire, while a fire also broke out on the roof of a hotel in the central Shevchenkivsky district.
Klitschko later said that five medical workers were among the wounded.
According to the New York Times, sirens sounded across Kiev late Wednesday night, followed by waves of Russian attack drones and ballistic missiles. Residents reported that the city was exposed to air defense fire before a series of powerful explosions rocked the city, with fires breaking out in multiple locations, including a large fire in the city center.
Many people took refuge in subway stations with sleeping bags and pets after authorities warned of an imminent large-scale strike.Hours before the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that intelligence suggested Russia was preparing for another “huge strike” on Kiev, and urged residents to heed air raid alerts and remain “particularly vigilant.”The latest attack came hours after Ukraine carried out long-range strikes inside Russia.
Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces targeted a large Russian oil refinery in Ufa and a military complex in the Penza region. He also said that Ukraine had struck a satellite communications center in Russia’s Moscow region the night before, with Kiev intensifying its attacks aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow to end the war.Speaking in Ireland before returning to Ukraine, Zelensky said: “Putin wants to continue fighting. That is why he must face conditions that make it impossible for him to continue this war.”The latest escalation comes as both sides continue to intensify long-range attacks. Earlier on Wednesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based think tank, estimated that total troop losses in the war exceeded two million. According to the report, Russia suffered about 1.4 million casualties, including about 450,000 dead, while Ukrainian losses are estimated at between 525,000 and 625,000, including 125,000 to 150,000 dead.
The report said Russian progress in 2026 was limited and described Moscow’s gains as “among the slowest rates of progress in any war over the past century.”Meanwhile, Russia renewed its criticism of continued US military aid to Ukraine. In a weekly press conference, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Washington against supplying more weapons to Kiev.“In our discussions with Washington, we have repeatedly emphasized that supplying the Kiev regime with military equipment could have unexpected consequences for regional and global stability,” Zakharova said.
