Russian Missiles and Drones Strike Kyiv, Killing Civilians

Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Sunday, killing four people and wounding at least five, Ukrainian authorities said. Explosions shook buildings near the government district, and residents took shelter in metro stations as air-raid sirens sounded. Officials reported damage and fires in the Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky, and Podilsky districts.

Background to the Strikes The attack came after Ukrainian drones struck a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied city of Starobilsk overnight Thursday to Friday. Moscow said the strike killed 18 people, most of them young women, and wounded 42 others.

Ukraine said the drones targeted a Russian drone unit and denied striking civilians. Russian officials vowed "inevitable and severe punishment" for those responsible.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv warned of an impending major Russian airstrike. Zelensky cited signs of preparation for a combined strike involving multiple weapon types. The U.S. Embassy stated it had received information about a potentially significant air attack that could occur within 24 hours.

“The capital has come under a mass ballistic missile attack.”

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said medical teams responded to debris in the Podilsky district and confirmed five people wounded, one of whom was hospitalized. Russia's Defense Ministry said the strike used Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles in response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations condemned attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure but noted it could not verify details due to restricted access to the area.