Russian Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills at Least 11; Ukraine Strikes Oil Refinery in Russia

Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv that lasted 11 hours overnight into Thursday morning, killing at least 21 civilians and injuring more than 90 others. Loud explosions shook the city for hours. More than 50,000 residents sheltered in subway stations after air raid warnings were issued.

Russia fired 74 missiles and 496 drones during the assault, Ukraine’s air force said. Ballistic missiles made up roughly one-third of the missiles fired. Ukrainian officials said air defenses performed better against drones than against ballistic missiles.

The attack damaged more than 30 locations across Kyiv, including about 20 residential buildings. In the Desnianskyi district, residents were trapped inside a damaged nine-story building. In the Darnytskyi district, most of another nine-story building collapsed.

A separate Russian strike in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region killed a 7-year-old girl and wounded four other family members, including an 11-year-old girl. Emergency crews searched collapsed and burned apartment buildings in Kyiv for victims. The Russian Defense Ministry stated the strikes targeted weapons factories, energy facilities, and military airfield infrastructure.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated the targets were exclusively military or military-linked. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the night as one of “horror” in the capital. Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region and a railway bridge in occupied Luhansk region overnight, Ukraine’s General Staff said.

The attack came more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials have urged partner countries to supply additional air defense systems, particularly Patriot batteries.