Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine's capital and surrounding region, using a hypersonic missile and hundreds of drones, killing at least four people and injuring over 80. The assault came after President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a student dormitory in Russian-occupied territory.
Details of the Attack
Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea, and ground-launched missiles. Ukrainian defenses destroyed or jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. The attack targeted multiple locations, including residential buildings, schools, a market, and a water supply facility.
The Russian military used the Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, which Putin has claimed is immune to missile defense systems. This missile was fired at the city of Bila Tserkva, southwest of Kyiv.
Casualties and Damage
At least four people were killed and more than 80 injured. In Kyiv's Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, causing a fire and one death. A school sheltering civilians was also damaged. Supermarkets and warehouses across the city were struck. The head of Kyiv's military administration confirmed damage at 40 locations.
Reactions from Ukrainian Leaders
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling Putin "unhinged." He wrote on social media: "Putin can't even pronounce the word 'hurrah' clearly anymore – slurs and mumbles – yet he is still vanquishing residential buildings with his missiles. Launched three Russian missiles against a water supply facility. Burned down a market. Damaged dozens of residential buildings. Hit several ordinary schools. Launched his 'Oreshnik' against Bila Tserkva. They really are unhinged. It is important that this does not pass without consequences for Russia."
Background and Context
The attack followed Putin's vow to retaliate for a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk, in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Moscow claims the strike killed 21 people and injured 42. Ukraine denied targeting the dormitory, stating it struck an elite drone command unit in the area.
At a UN Security Council emergency meeting, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk rejected Russian accusations of war crimes, calling them "a pure propaganda show." He insisted Friday's operations "exclusively targeted the Russian war machine."
International Condemnation
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned the attack as "reckless nuclear-brinkmanship." She stated: "Russia hit a dead-end on the battlefield, so it terrorises Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centres. These are abhorrent acts of terror meant to kill as many civilians as possible. Moscow reportedly using Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles – systems designed to carry nuclear warheads – is a political scare-tactic and reckless nuclear-brinkmanship." She added that foreign ministers would discuss how to increase international pressure on Russia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Russia's use of the Oreshnik missile, writing: "The German government strongly condemns this reckless escalation. Germany continues to stand firmly by Ukraine." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia was "prolonging human suffering and doing nothing to change the fact that Russia will lose this war."
Local Impact
Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who worked in a damaged market, said the attack forced her to leave the city. "It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war. I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility. My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down."
This is the third time Russia has used the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine, following strikes on Dnipro in November 2024 and the Lviv region in January. Putin has boasted that the missile travels at ten times the speed of sound.
