Russia pounds Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities hours after US sanctions bill passes

Russia launched a wave of missiles and drones against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, injuring more than two dozen people, officials said on Thursday. The attacks came hours after the US House of Representatives approved a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill aimed at tightening economic pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The legislation, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, has been sent to President Donald Trump for signature. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed its passage, describing it as an "extremely powerful tool" that, alongside existing measures, could help force Russia to end a war now in its fifth year.

Zelenskiy noted the timing of the vote, saying it was symbolic that the House passed the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on the night of yet another Russian attack involving ballistic and other missiles and drones. He stressed that tougher sanctions are essential to bring Russia back to the negotiating table after US-backed peace talks unravelled earlier this year.

"Sanctions must be strong so that all efforts for peace – including our joint diplomatic efforts with the United States, Europe, and our other friends – can succeed," he said.

Ukraine's air force reported that the overnight barrage included Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and nearly 160 drones. It did not specify how many of the more deadly ballistic missiles were intercepted. Moscow has escalated its air attacks in recent months, while Ukraine runs critically low on US-designed interceptors needed to down ballistic missiles.

Zelenskiy said damage was recorded in eight regions, with energy infrastructure hit in the Sumy and Odesa regions. Russia's defence ministry said it had struck vessels used by the Ukrainian military.

In Kyiv, air raid alerts and the boom of air defences sounded through the night, and explosions were heard on Thursday morning as jet-powered drone attacks continued. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 18 people, including two children, were wounded in the city. Most were in a damaged 16-storey apartment building, officials said. Damage was reported in four districts, including warehouse facilities and a petrol station, and water supply on the left bank of the Dnipro river was temporarily disrupted.

Six people, including two children, were wounded in the Black Sea port of Odesa, where a 19-storey apartment building, residential buildings and other sites were damaged. Three others were wounded in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a missile strike hit industrial facilities and triggered a fire at one of them, authorities said.

Ukraine has also stepped up attacks on Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to undermine Moscow's ability to wage war. A Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, causing a fire that was later extinguished, the region's governor said on Thursday.