Russia kills 9 in Kyiv ballistic missile attack, second major strike in 48 hours

Night of explosions in Kyiv

At around 1:33 a.m. local time on Saturday, a series of powerful explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital as Russia launched a ballistic missile attack. The Air Force quickly warned that multiple ballistic missiles were heading for Kyiv, and residents scrambled for shelter. Over the next two hours, further explosions were heard at approximately 2:16 a.m. and 3:20 a.m., as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming rockets. More than a dozen blasts were reported, setting off car alarms and shaking buildings across the city.

Unable to achieve objectives on the battlefield, Russia intensifies air attacks and acts of terrorism against civilians. Ukraine urgently needs additional air defence and anti-missile systems, and interceptor missiles.

Kateryna Kravchenko, 75, described the moment: "As soon as the alarm went off, I only managed to get out into the hallway, to the entrance, and it started shaking. Even the linoleum lifted."

Another resident, Oksana, said she heard "really terrifying explosions" and then "glass started falling like rain, people began to come out, and the explosions continued."

Casualties and destruction

The attack killed at least nine people and wounded 28, including four children, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko. The Darnytskyi district saw the heaviest toll: seven dead and 14 injured, among them two children, after rockets struck an administrative building and a commercial structure. In Solomianskyi, a five‑storey apartment block partially collapsed, and a fire erupted in the courtyard, trapping residents; rescue workers pulled 105 people from damaged buildings. In Shevchenkivskyi, another residential building was partly destroyed and people were caught under rubble. Fires also hit warehouses, a car wash, and a parking lot. Klitschko wrote on Telegram, "People are trapped."

Context and response

The strike was the second major Russian assault on Ukraine in 48 hours. On Thursday, a missile attack near Kryvyi Rih killed eight civilians, six of them members of one family, while two others died in Kyiv and the Poltava region. That same night, a suspected Russian cruise missile landed on Polish territory during a large‑scale barrage, without causing casualties but heightening fears of a wider escalation. President Zelensky said the earlier missile was North Korean‑made. Foreign Minister Sybiha urged allies for faster deliveries of air defence systems, as Ukraine battles a chronic shortage of interceptors. The deficit of PAC‑3 missiles for Patriot batteries has deepened since the US‑Israel conflict with Iran in February. Moscow has stepped up ballistic missile attacks in recent weeks, recognising that they are harder for Ukraine to intercept.

Russia's claim and Kyiv's defence gaps

Russia's Defence Ministry said the salvo targeted defence‑industry facilities and logistics hubs in Ukraine. Kyiv officials countered that all hits were on residential buildings, not military targets. The latest attack highlighted Kyiv's vulnerability to ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound and often evade existing air defences. Only systems like the US‑made Patriot can reliably down such missiles, and Ukraine's stock of interceptors is dwindling. Ukraine's foreign minister said the country cannot effectively defend against repeated salvos without fresh supplies of advanced interceptors. The gap widened after the United States and Israel diverted resources for their conflict with Iran in February, leaving Kyiv's Patriot batteries short of PAC‑3 missiles.