Russia’s overnight missile and drone strikes kill 11 across Ukraine

Families in Kyiv and Dnipro spent the night under air-raid sirens as Russian missiles and drones slammed into apartment blocks, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more. In Kyiv alone, at least four people died and 58 were wounded, including three children, while in Dnipro in the Dnipropetrovsk region at least six people were killed and 36 injured.

The damage in Kyiv spread across eight districts, with residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure hit in multiple neighborhoods. In Podilskyi district, a nine-story building suffered partial damage to its upper floors, trapping people under the rubble. In Solomianskyi district, a 20-story building and a 24-story building were damaged. Thousands of residents reportedly crowded into the subway system for shelter as air-raid warnings covered much of the country, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv.

In Dnipro, a two-story residential building and part of a four-story apartment block were damaged, and people were trapped beneath the larger building. A rescuer was killed in a second strike while first responders were already at the scene, underscoring how dangerous the attack remained even after the initial blasts. Ukraine’s state emergency service worked through the wreckage as crews searched for survivors in the damaged buildings.

The strike pattern pointed to more than a single night of destruction. Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned days earlier that Russia was preparing a renewed assault, and Ukrainian officials had been urging allies to send more air-defense missiles. Their concern is increasingly focused on ballistic missiles, which they say remain a major weakness even as Ukraine intercepts a high percentage of drones. The overnight barrage, which reached major cities including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv, suggested a campaign designed to test Ukraine’s defenses, stretch emergency crews and press civilian infrastructure in the places where people are most exposed.