Russian strikes kill at least nine across Ukraine, wound dozens

Russian missiles and drones struck Ukraine in one of the war’s most punishing overnight attacks in recent weeks, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens as air defenses were pressed across multiple major cities. The barrage hit Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv, coming just days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a new massive strike.

In Kyiv, authorities said Russia used ballistic missiles, triggering fires, power cuts in several districts and panic as residents rushed for shelters. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were killed in the capital and at least 58 were wounded, including two children. Tymur Tkachenko, the city’s military chief, said there were explosions, widespread disruptions and serious damage to apartment blocks. AFP journalists reported hearing blasts across the city, while local officials said a suspected double-tap strike in the Podilskyi district caused part of a nine-story residential building to collapse and left people feared trapped under rubble.

The scale of the damage underscored how Ukraine’s air defenses are being stretched by repeated Russian missile and drone waves that have struck almost daily since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelenskyy warned on Friday, May 30, 2026, that Ukraine had intelligence indicating Russia was preparing another major assault and urged people to heed air alerts and protect themselves. The latest strike arrived after one of the largest attacks of the war, on May 24, when Russia launched 600 drones and 90 missiles, with Zelenskyy saying Kyiv was the main target and calling again for stronger international support.

Outside the capital, the toll kept rising. In Dnipro, local governor Oleksandr Ganzha said five people were killed and 25 wounded, three of them seriously. In Kharkiv, Mayor Igor Terekhov said ten people were wounded, including a child. Ukrainian officials also said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia’s Kursk region, while another drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in Krasnodar, reflecting the widening cross-border exchange that has become a defining feature of the war.

The strikes added urgency to Kyiv’s appeal for more Western air defenses as Russian attacks intensify in size, timing and targeting. With peace talks still stalled, the latest barrage suggested Moscow is not merely sustaining its air campaign but escalating it against Ukraine’s cities, power systems and civilian housing stock.