Russia Launches Massive Aerial Assault on Kyiv, Using Hypersonic Missiles

Russia launched one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war on Kyiv overnight, firing more than 700 drones and over 50 missiles at the Ukrainian capital in a massive bombardment that shook central parts of the city and left multiple casualties. Dramatic videos circulating online captured the moment a cruise missile struck central Kyiv, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky as explosions echoed near government buildings and residential areas. The attack marked one of the most intense combined missile and drone barrages since the war began. Russia on Sunday confirmed carrying out overnight strikes on Ukraine using four types of missiles, including the hypersonic Oreshnik missile, which Moscow said was launched in retaliation for Kyiv’s attacks on civilian targets inside Russia. According to Russian state news agencies, the assault involved Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles. Interfax quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying the strikes targeted Ukrainian military command facilities, air bases and enterprises linked to Ukraine’s military industrial complex. Moscow claimed all strikes were successful, though Reuters said it could not independently verify the battlefield reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia used the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during the overnight attack. In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said the missile struck Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, though the intended target was not immediately clear. Ukraine’s Air Force said the overnight assault involved around 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea and ground launched missiles. Ukrainian air defences reportedly destroyed or jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles, while approximately 19 missiles failed to reach their targets. The Air Force also said one medium range ballistic missile was launched from Russia’s Kasputin Yar launch site in the Astrakhan region, which is known for Oreshnik missile launches. While Ukrainian authorities stopped short of officially confirming the missile’s use, they had earlier warned of a possible Oreshnik launch. At least two people were killed and 56 others injured in the strikes, according to preliminary figures released by local authorities. Damage was reported at around 40 locations across Kyiv, including residential buildings, schools, supermarkets and warehouses. In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, a five storey residential building caught fire after being struck, killing one person, Ukraine’s state emergency service said. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said a school building was also damaged while civilians were sheltering inside. Residents described scenes of panic and devastation as explosions rocked the capital through the night. “It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war," said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, whose workplace was damaged in the attack. “I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility," she added. “My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.” Another resident, 74-year-old Yevhen Zosin, recounted the force of the blasts. “Then there was another explosion and she and I were thrown back like a pin by the shock wave. We both survived, she and I. My apartment was blown to pieces,” he said. Russia first used the multiple warhead Oreshnik missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, before deploying it again in the western Lviv region earlier this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously claimed the Oreshnik missile travels at 10 times the speed of sound and can penetrate underground bunkers “three, four or more floors down.” Putin has also described the missile as immune to missile defence systems and said several such missiles carrying conventional warheads could be as devastating as a nuclear strike.