Russian Missile and Drone Strikes Kill 13 in Kyiv Overnight

Russian forces launched missiles and drones that struck 33 locations in Kyiv overnight, killing 13 people and injuring around 90 others. The city's mayor described the barrage as the most massive attack on the Ukrainian capital. Vitaly Klitschko declared Friday a day of mourning.

He said an ambulance station was among the sites hit and that rescuers were searching rubble for a 15-year-old girl and her family in a damaged high-rise apartment building in south-east Kyiv. Children were among the casualties, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones, with 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones reaching their targets despite air defences.

The BBC team in Kyiv counted 10 significant strikes by 03:30 local time, along with one major fire in the city centre and multiple other blazes. A hotel on a central boulevard was destroyed by fire. Russia's Defence Ministry stated that the strikes targeted Ukraine's defence industry and military infrastructure in Kyiv and surrounding regions, as well as military airfield facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv.

It said the action was in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United States to grant licences for the manufacture of Patriot air defence missiles. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on partners to supply more air defence systems and increase sanctions on Russia.

The attack was the first large-scale Russian missile and drone strike on Ukraine in more than two weeks. Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare admission that Russia was facing fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes.