A combined Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight on Tuesday has killed at least 14 people and left 44 others injured, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
The attack, one of the largest since the full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022, saw 27 locations across Kyiv hit, causing significant destruction to residential buildings, schools, and critical infrastructure.
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According to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko, the strike severely damaged a nine-storey residential building in the Solomianskyi district, where 30 apartments were destroyed.
Emergency workers rushed to the scene to rescue survivors from the rubble.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that a US citizen was among the fatalities, having succumbed to shrapnel wounds. A series of explosions were heard throughout the night, and drone debris sparked fires in two districts of the city, further complicating rescue operations.
The attack occurred while world leaders were gathering for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to attend.
In a surprising development during the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump suggested that Russia should be readmitted to the G7, arguing that the war in Ukraine might not have happened if Russia had remained a member. Trump’s comments, made alongside Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney,
“I would say that that was a mistake because I think you wouldn’t have a war right now if you had Russia in,” Trump stated. His remarks come after Russia was expelled from the G8 in 2014 following its invasion of Crimea.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov announced the interception of 147 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including the Moscow region, as Russian forces continue to intensify their aerial attacks.
“Today, the enemy spared neither drones nor missiles,” Klymenko said, referring to the unprecedented scale of the assault. Ukrainian officials confirmed that the attack has been one of the most devastating so far, as Russian forces targeted key locations in the city, including residential areas and infrastructure.
The strike destroyed a nine-storey building in the Solomianskyi district, leaving a large portion of it in ruins. At least 30 apartments were completely destroyed. The wounded, including civilians, were rushed to nearby hospitals.
“The attacks hit not only homes but also institutions vital to the functioning of Kyiv,” Klymenko added. “We will continue our search for survivors among the rubble.”
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who was on the ground in the aftermath of the attack, confirmed that a 62-year-old U.S. citizen had died in the Solomianskyi district, in a building near where medics were providing assistance. The American citizen died from shrapnel wounds.
“Residents of Kyiv continue to face unbearable hardships,” Klitschko said. “This is an attempt by Russia to destroy the fabric of our society, to break us.”
Meanwhile, explosions continued to ring out across the capital for hours after the initial attack. Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept several incoming missiles and drones, although many still managed to strike their intended targets.
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In addition to the capital, other parts of Ukraine, including the region around Kyiv and the southern Odesa region, came under attack. Reports from local authorities indicated that 13 people were injured in Odesa.
Despite the mounting attacks, Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in direct peace talks, though little progress has been made in terms of reaching a ceasefire agreement. So far, the talks have resulted in agreements to exchange prisoners of war and return the bodies of fallen soldiers.
Meanwhile, Russia’s security chief Sergei Shoigu arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for a meeting with Kim Jong Un, marking his second visit to Pyongyang in less than two weeks, as Moscow continues to seek greater military cooperation with the North.
