Overnight Russian barrage hits Kyiv region, leaves trail of damage
Russia launched a major overnight attack on Ukraine, striking cities including the Kyiv region, causing damage and casualties.
A major Russian attack involving missiles and drones struck targets across Ukraine overnight, with explosions echoing through the capital region into Thursday morning. The assault, which began after nightfall on Wednesday, left a trail of damage in the Kyiv region, where smoke rose from industrial areas and emergency crews battled fires.
Video footage from the region showed firefighters spraying water on burning structures, a helicopter dropping water from a bucket, and residents clearing debris from a damaged building. A burnt-out car sat near the scene, and a church was visible against a smoky sky.
One local resident, Yelena Martynyuk, described the terrifying moments when a drone struck her neighborhood. "I heard something roaring above, and I realized it was a Shahed (drone) flying right into people," she said. "First the car caught fire, then the house." She noted that before official rescuers arrived, passersby used their own fire extinguishers to try to put out the flames. Martynyuk added that a 15-year-old girl was pulled from the building, and no one was killed in the immediate vicinity.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the "massive" strike targeted military-related infrastructure, including industrial facilities, oil refineries, logistics hubs, and port installations across nine cities. However, civilian areas, including apartment buildings, also suffered damage.
Ukrainian officials reported that the barrage killed a 78-year-old woman in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and another person in the northern Kharkiv region. At least 14 other people were reported wounded in various locations.
The attack comes as Ukraine faces a critical shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles, which are needed to counter Russia's ballistic missiles. Moscow has also deployed fast-flying jet-powered drones, adding to the defensive challenge. Ukrainian officials say Russia is building up missile stocks and launching major attacks every few days, aiming to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses through sheer numbers. In response, Ukraine has continued to strike high-profile targets on Russian soil, as the two sides inflict mutual destruction.