Russian Drone and Missile Attack Kills 13 in Kyiv

Russian forces have launched a major drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, killing 13 people, officials say.

Several neighbourhoods were evacuated as strikes rocked buildings throughout the city, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia was preparing for a "massive" attack.

Children were among the "significant number" of casualties, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's ​military administration, said.

"The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians," he said early on Thursday. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed it targeted energy facilities in response to recent Ukrainian strikes.

On Thursday morning, daylight brought clearer images of a crater which appeared to be caused by the impact of explosions.

Smouldering cars, buildings and infrastructure could also be seen next to bombed-out debris.

Multiple fires broke out across the city and damage was reported at an ambulance station in the city, which left at least one person critically injured.

Firefighters were also dousing a blaze destroying a hotel on a central boulevard.

Overnight, tracer fire from air defence systems were spotted lighting up the sky, and explosions from drones, cruise and ballistic missiles were heard.

The country's state emergency service said 13 people have been killed and more than 30 others injured.

So far 34 people have been rescued, officials said, and rescue operations are ongoing at sites that have been hit, including in a high-rise apartment building and homes in the south-east of Kyiv.

Ukraine's US ambassador Olha Stefanishyna wrote in a post on X: "Another horrific night for the residents of the city, who were forced to spend it in shelters."

"Fires and the destruction of civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in several districts of the city."

It marks the first large-scale missile and drone strike by Russia on Ukraine in more than a two weeks.