Russian forces launched a massive attack on Kyiv early Friday, killing four and injuring 27. Explosions destroyed buildings and sparked multiple fires.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescuers could not retrieve two bodies trapped in the rubble. Emergency crews treated 27 injured civilians. Nine people, including a pregnant woman, required hospitalization. Two children, aged seven and ten, suffered injuries.
Officials urged residents to stay in shelters until air raid alerts ended. Authorities warned of possible power and water outages across the city.
Zelenskyy Condemns Targeted Civilian Assault
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a “deliberately calculated strike against civilians and infrastructure.” He reported Russia fired 430 drones and 18 ballistic missiles.
The attack damaged at least 11 high-rise residential buildings across multiple districts. Debris sparked fires near medical facilities and nonresidential buildings in Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi. Ukrainian authorities activated air defenses as explosions rocked the city.
In the surrounding region, strikes damaged critical infrastructure and private homes. Regional head Mykola Kalashnyk reported six injuries, including a 55-year-old man hospitalized with thermal burns in Bila Tserkva.
Russian Gains Slow Despite Offensive
Russian forces advanced in southern Ukraine, forcing Ukrainian troops to retreat from several Zaporizhzhia villages. The Defense Ministry claimed capture of settlements in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv.
Analysts warn Russia’s offensive remains costly and slow. The Institute for the Study of War noted Russia’s siege of Pokrovsk progresses gradually because commanders spread forces too thinly.
Ukraine continues to defend its positions, holding Russia to incremental gains while civilian casualties rise from repeated strikes.
