Russian Drone and Missile Attacks Kill at Least 10 in Kyiv
Quick Look
- At least 10 people were killed and over 50 injured as Russian drones and missiles struck residential buildings in Kyiv overnight.
- Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions and a hotel fire, with President Zelenskyy anticipating a major assault.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Russian forces have targeted Ukraine's energy facilities and critical infrastructure throughout the war. Ukraine has recently developed better long-range drones and struck targets deep inside Russia.
At least 10 people were killed and over 50 people were injured after Russian drones and missiles hit residential buildings in Kyiv as part of a broader wave of Russian attacks overnight on the Ukrainian capital.
Several explosions were heard across parts of the city overnight into Thursday.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said on Telegram that a hotel roof was on fire on the central Shevchenko Boulevard.
Klitschko said in a later post that Kyiv also came under a ballistic missile attack.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that intelligence reports indicated that a major assault was likely and that he was cutting short his stay in Dublin.
Ukrainian drones disrupting Russian military lines
Russia's drone and missile attacks come after Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow earlier this week.
And that Ukrainian drone assault came less than two weeks after the country hit a major oil refinery in the Moscow region in the biggest drone attack on the Russian capital since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.
Russia has targeted Ukraine's energy facilities and other critical infrastructure over the course of the war.
But Ukraine is now producing better long-range drones and has struck targets deep inside Russia.
A new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Wednesday said that, by some estimates, over 90% of Russian casualties were from drone attacks rather than a result of human-to-human engagements.
Russia's heavy price in Ukraine war
The CSIS study said Russian forces suffered approximately 1.4 million battlefield casualties (killed, wounded or missing) between February 2022 and June 2026 and between 400,000 and 450,000 fatalities during this same period.
Ukrainian forces have suffered somewhere between 525,000 and 625,000 casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) and between 125,000 and 150,000 fatalities between February 2022 and June 2026.
That means more than two million Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and wounded since the start of the war, a bleak milestone.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Further drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities are likely.
Likely · Within days
Increased international condemnation and aid for Ukraine.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the full extent of the damage in Kyiv?
- Will there be further retaliatory attacks?
- How will international response evolve?
