Russia launched an intense missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight Sunday, shaking buildings across the city center and injuring at least 10 people, local authorities said. The assault, which targeted areas near government offices, residential buildings, and schools, sent smoke billowing across the capital as air raid sirens blared through the night.
Attack Details and Damage
Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions near the city center and close to government buildings. The attack was ongoing by sunrise Sunday, with more missiles and drones expected to reach Kyiv. Damage was recorded across at least nine districts of the capital, including residential buildings, according to Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko in a Telegram post.
In Kyiv's Shevchenko district, a school building was damaged while people sheltered inside, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Local authorities reported that supermarkets and warehouses across the city also sustained damage. Multiple communities throughout the Kyiv region recorded damage, according to regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.
Zelenskyy Warns of Hypersonic Missile Threat
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was planning to use the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, citing intelligence from the U.S. and Western partners. Ukraine's Air Force later warned of a possible launch of the Oreshnik, though it was not immediately clear if the missile had been used in the overnight attack.
Russia first used the multiple-warhead Oreshnik on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, and a second time in January in the western Lviv region. President Vladimir Putin said the Oreshnik, which means "hazelnut tree" in Russian, streaks at 10 times the speed of sound (Mach 10) and is capable of destroying underground bunkers "three, four or more floors down." He described the weapon as traveling "like a meteorite" and claimed it is immune to any missile defense system. Putin added that several such missiles, even fitted with conventional warheads, could be as devastating as a nuclear strike.
