Russians launched a record dronea and missile attack

Russian attack on Kyiv killed three and injured 20 people.

Last nightRussia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, targeting Kyiv with over 800 drones and 13 missiles, marking a significant escalation by striking the Cabinet of Ministers building for the first time. According to Ukrainian officials, including Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, a fire broke out on the roof and upper floors of this key government building in Kyiv’s Pecherskyi district, likely due to debris from a downed Russian drone, though some sources suggest a direct strike. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 747 drones and four missiles, but 54 drones and nine missiles hit 37 locations across Ukraine, including Kyiv, where the attack caused significant damage to civilian and government infrastructure. Emergency services, including firefighters, were deployed to extinguish the blaze at the Cabinet of Ministers building, with no immediate casualties reported at this specific site.

The attack’s impact on Kyiv extended beyond the government building, with residential areas in the Sviatoshynskyi and Darnytskyi districts also hit, resulting in fires and destruction. At least three people, including a one-year-old child, a young woman, and an elderly woman, were killed, and 17 others were injured across the capital, as reported by Klitschko.

Debris from downed drones ignited fires in a 16-story residential building and two nine-story buildings, with rescuers working to save those trapped under rubble. The assault, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a “deliberate crime,” disrupted power and water supplies in some areas and forced residents to seek shelter in metro stations throughout the night. The targeting of a central government building, a rare occurrence in Russia’s campaign, heightened fears of further escalation as peace talks remain stalled.

This massive barrage, the second major attack on Kyiv in recent weeks, underscores Russia’s strategy to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses and terrorize civilians, particularly as winter looms. Zelenskyy, rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for talks in Moscow, challenged him to come to Kyiv, emphasizing that the attacks demonstrate Russia’s intent to prolong the war. The strike on the Cabinet of Ministers building, which houses the offices of Ukraine’s ministers, was condemned by Svyrydenko, who noted, “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned.” The attack also damaged infrastructure in other regions, including Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, and Sumy, with at least four deaths nationwide. Ukrainian officials continue to urge global allies to strengthen sanctions and provide advanced air defense systems to counter Russia’s escalating aerial campaign, as the nation braces for further assaults.

The attack caused widespread damage across Ukraine, with civilian infrastructure hit in multiple cities.

In Kryvyi Rih, missiles and drones struck around 10 apartment buildings, homes, a school, and local businesses, leaving at least three people hospitalized, according to local officials.

In Odesa, drone strikes set fires in residential areas and damaged civilian infrastructure, while in Zaporizhzhia, a strike on an industrial workshop caused destruction but no casualties. Poltava Oblast also suffered damage, with a bridge, private enterprise, and homes hit in Kremenchuk, as well as a municipal building struck by falling drone debris. Ukraine’s railway operator reported that rail infrastructure in the region was also targeted.

Explosions were reported in Kyiv, Odesa, Kremenchuk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhzhia during the prolonged assault, underscoring the broad reach of Russia’s drone and missile campaign against Ukrainian cities.