A massive Russian aerial offensive on Kyiv has left one person dead and at least 31 others injured, according to Ukrainian officials on Thursday, as Moscow intensified its attacks shortly after a temporary ceasefire came to an end.
Residents of the Ukrainian capital were jolted awake by powerful explosions during the early hours of Thursday as air defence systems responded to waves of incoming missiles and drones. Journalists on the ground reported sustained blasts across the city.
“The enemy is striking Kyiv with UAVs and ballistic missiles,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, describing the situation as the capital being “under heavy enemy attack”.
Tymur Tkachenko, who heads Kyiv’s military administration, confirmed that one person was killed while 16 others sustained injuries during the assault on the city itself.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later updated the casualty toll, stating that 31 people, including a child, were wounded across Kyiv and the surrounding region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Russia launched a large-scale overnight bombardment involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles aimed at various parts of Ukraine.
“Overnight, the Russians launched more than 670 attack drones and 56 missiles against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote in a post on social media.
“These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end. It is important that partners do not remain silent about this strike,” he added.
Military officials reported that six districts within Kyiv were hit, while another six districts in the broader Kyiv region also came under attack.
As daylight broke, emergency personnel continued rescue efforts among the debris of shattered buildings in the capital. In one scene, rescuers were seen carrying an injured resident from the wreckage of a partially collapsed apartment building.
Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed that search-and-rescue operations were still ongoing.
The renewed strikes came after Russia’s three-day ceasefire with Ukraine expired on Tuesday, leading to a fresh escalation in hostilities between both sides.
US President Donald Trump had announced the temporary pause last week, shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a reduced-scale military parade at Moscow’s Red Square commemorating victory in World War II.
Zelensky has meanwhile called on Trump to raise the issue of ending the conflict during meetings scheduled this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
For more than four years, Russia has continued extensive bombardments of Ukrainian cities, with large-scale drone and missile attacks most often occurring overnight.
On Wednesday, Zelensky said a separate wave of “at least 800 Russian drones” targeting mainly western regions of Ukraine resulted in six deaths and dozens of injuries.
Mayor Klitschko stated that Thursday’s attacks damaged at least one residential structure in Kyiv and also ignited a vehicle in a parking area. He added that missile debris struck “a non-residential building”.
