Kyiv picks up the pieces after overnight missile and drone assault kills 16

A day after a devastating Russian aerial assault on Kyiv, residents and volunteers across the Ukrainian capital began the painstaking work of repairing damaged homes and clearing debris. The overnight attack, which combined scores of missiles and drones, killed at least 16 people and wounded around 40 others, according to officials.

In residential neighborhoods, the scale of destruction was visible in shattered windows, mangled cars, and piles of rubble. Emergency crews worked alongside locals to board up broken windows and assess structural damage.

Anton Murunchak, a local resident, described the emotional toll of the strike. "Everyone was in tears. Everything was broken," he said. "The flat, the car, everything was damaged simultaneously."

For many, the immediate challenge is restoring basic living conditions. Larysa Polishchuk noted the loss of essential utilities. "There is no electricity, no gas supply. Only cold water is running," she said. "You need to find a way to live."

Among those lending a hand was Adam Stephan, a volunteer from Australia whose family fled Ukraine as refugees during World War II. "It's really bad what's going on and I can't sit at home watching," he said. "I come here to help."

Some residents expressed relief that their children were not at home during the attack. Valerii Svertoka said his children were at a summer house outside the city when the missiles hit. "That saved them because they might not have survived it," he said, noting the heavy damage where their beds are located.

Moscow's forces have intensified ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv in recent months, exploiting Ukraine's shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the only weapon capable of shooting down such missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged allies to supply more.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck a Kyiv industrial site manufacturing components for Flamingo cruise missiles, as well as facilities involved in drone production and storage, an ammunition depot, and a logistics center.