Russian forces unleashed a relentless overnight assault on Kyiv, firing 539 drones and 11 missiles across Ukraine in an attack that injured at least 23 people and caused widespread destruction in the capital, Ukrainian officials reported Friday.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated the strikes primarily targeted Kyiv, with air raid alerts sounding for over eight hours as waves of attacks pummeled the city. “The main target of the strikes was the capital of Ukraine, the city of Kyiv!” the Air Force announced on Telegram.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed 14 of the injured were hospitalized, with damage reported in six of the city’s 10 districts. Falling drone debris ignited a fire at a medical facility in Holosiivskyi district, while railway infrastructure sustained damage that disrupted passenger services, according to state operator Ukrzaliznytsia.
The assault marks the latest escalation in Russia’s intensified air campaign against the 3-million-strong capital, following some of the deadliest attacks since the war began. Reuters witnesses reported continuous explosions overnight as air defenses intercepted 478 incoming threats, though 63 drones and nine missiles struck targets across eight Ukrainian regions.
The violence unfolded as United States President Donald Trump acknowledged failed talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. “I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed,” Trump told reporters. “I didn’t make any progress with him at all.”
The Kremlin maintained its stance on addressing the conflict’s “root causes,” even as Ukraine faces critical weapons shortages after recent U.S. aid suspensions. President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to discuss resumed arms shipments in a Friday call with Trump.
Separately, Russian shelling killed five civilians near the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk on Thursday. While both sides deny targeting civilians, UN data shows over 10,000 non-combatant deaths since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, mostly Ukrainians.
Social media footage captured the capital’s ordeal—residents fleeing explosions, firefighters battling blazes, and buildings reduced to hollow shells. The attacks underscore Moscow’s evolving tactics as it increasingly deploys swarms of cheap drones to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
