Kyiv and several other cities across Ukraine were struck by a coordinated drone and missile attack early Thursday morning, local officials reported. The assault began around 1 AM local time and continued through the early hours of the day. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urged residents to seek shelter as air defenses engaged incoming targets. Censored footage circulating online depicted multiple explosions and fires across the capital.
Local military administration head Timur Tkachenko reported damage at at least 28 locations, primarily residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. Two people were killed and 20 injured in the attack. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident, though Moscow previously pledged to conduct “systematic and consistent strikes” on Kyiv’s military installations, drone manufacturing sites, command posts, and “decision-making centers.”
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have intensified long-range drone operations deep within Russian territory, repeatedly targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure. On Tuesday, a six-month-old baby was killed in a drone strike in the Moscow region, while last week 12 people were injured in an attack on a WWII museum in Rostov Region. Last month, Kyiv launched one of its largest drone strikes on Moscow, hitting an oil refinery and injuring 17 people, including two children.
Russia maintains it targets only military and dual-use installations in response to Ukraine’s “indiscriminate attacks,” yet Kyiv has a documented history of using civilian sites for military purposes, including warehouses, public buildings, and agricultural facilities. Ukrainian media recently exposed a drone manufacturing facility located within a film studio that was struck by Russian forces.
