Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv and Dnipro overnight, killing at least 8 and injuring over 60 across Ukraine

The overnight assault

Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Tuesday, striking the capital Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Air-raid sirens sounded across almost the entire country. In Kyiv, a city of three million, heavy explosions were heard in the centre. Residents fled to metro stations and bomb shelters as the air defence engaged. Power and water supply were briefly disrupted in parts of the capital.

Casualties and damage in Kyiv

In Kyiv, at least three people were killed and 29 injured, according to military administrator Tymur Tkatschenko. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a multi-storey residential building collapsed in the Podilskyi district and that people were feared trapped under the rubble. Another strike damaged the upper floors of a 15-storey apartment block. Fires broke out in several districts, some caused by falling debris from intercepted missiles. Among the injured in the capital was a three-year-old child. Black smoke rose over the city centre at dawn.

Strikes on Dnipro, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia

In Dnipro, local authorities reported at least 5 people killed and 25 injured, 23 of whom were being treated in hospital, including a 13-year-old girl. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, the mayor said at least ten people were wounded. The governor of the Kharkiv region also reported casualties, among them an 11-year-old girl. The southern city of Zaporizhzhia was also targeted. The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russia used ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in the attacks.

Poland scrambles jets

In neighbouring Poland, the military announced on X that its air defence had been placed on alert and that military aircraft had been scrambled in response to the Russian strikes. NATO partner fighter jets have occasionally taken to the air during large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy's advance warning

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned repeatedly since the end of last week that intelligence pointed to an imminent massive Russian strike. In a video address on Saturday he said intelligence about a possible large-scale attack remained current and urged Ukrainians not to ignore air-raid alerts. On Monday evening he reiterated the warning, saying a massive strike was possible and that Russia had prepared it. He also acknowledged that a shortage of supplies from Western allies was hampering the defence against ballistic and cruise missiles.

Intelligence warnings regarding Russian attacks remain in force. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared this.

Context and Russian warnings

The overnight barrage came roughly ten days after the last major Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv. Last week, Moscow warned it was planning "systematic strikes" on military targets and decision-making centres in Kyiv, a response to a drone attack last month on a dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region that killed 21 people. Ukraine denied carrying out that attack. None of the casualty figures or claims could be independently verified.