Russian ballistic missile strikes kill two in Kyiv as Zelenskyy seeks US air defense aid

Missile strikes on Kyiv

Russian forces launched waves of ballistic missile strikes against Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring at least six others. The attack began after 01:00 local time, following a Wednesday in which the capital sounded 11 air raid alerts due to jet-powered combat drones. Military monitoring channels recorded at least 14 ballistic missiles during the initial three waves of the assault, with reporters in the city hearing more than 20 explosions. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that three of the injured were medical personnel, with two people in serious condition, while the state rescue service DSNS reported eight injured. Falling missile debris damaged the facade and windows of a maternity clinic in the Podilskyi district, killing one person in the adjacent parking facility.

Damage across Ukrainian regions

The bombardment struck civilian, administrative, and residential sites across three districts of the capital. In the Dniprowskyj district, strikes partially destroyed a private home, prompting search and rescue operations for residents trapped beneath rubble. Debris also damaged a 16-floor residential tower, a multi-story administrative building, and several storage warehouses across Kyiv. Beyond the capital, Russian strikes hit port infrastructure, residential buildings, a medical facility, and an educational center in the southern city of Odesa. In the Kharkiv region, a strike hit an agricultural enterprise in a rural village, while the Russian Defense Ministry stated it targeted energy, transport, and logistics sites in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Vinnytsia.

Diplomatic appeals in Washington

The missile attack coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking from Washington following meetings with members of the United States Congress, Zelenskyy stated that the strikes targeted residential buildings, maternity clinics, and energy facilities.

“Once again, Kyiv and civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, a maternity hospital, energy facilities, and logistics facilities were the main targets of the attack.”

Zelenskyy urged American lawmakers to approve additional interceptor missiles for Ukrainian air defense systems and to tighten sanctions against the Russian government. Discussions centered on a comprehensive sanctions package named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July. In earlier talks on the sidelines of the United Nations gathering, Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump and expressed willingness to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and adopt a partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the proposed energy truce, stating that Russia does not intend to halt its attacks.

International reactions and North Korean troops

The strikes followed Wednesday attacks across Ukraine that killed at least seven people and injured 45 in Kyiv alone. Addressing the United Nations Security Council, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilian areas, noting that most attacks no longer have military objectives. His statements diverged from the stance of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has voiced opposition to European Union sanctions against Russia. During his visit, Zelenskyy also announced plans to hand over two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia's Kursk region to South Korea. Source estimates indicate North Korea has deployed between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to support Russian military operations.