Russia carried out a massive overnight drone attack on Kyiv, injuring at least 23 people and setting off fires across the capital, Ukrainian officials said Friday. The intense assault damaged railway infrastructure, torched cars, and sparked fires in multiple residential buildings, with explosions heard throughout the city. Air raid alerts lasted more than eight hours as several waves of attacks kept residents on edge.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 539 drones and 11 missiles targeting Ukrainian territory, with Kyiv being the main focus of the attack. Officials said falling drone debris ignited a fire at a medical facility in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district. Damage was reported in six of the capital’s ten districts, on both sides of the Dnipro River.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that 14 of the injured were hospitalized, and rescue efforts continued throughout the night. Ukraine’s state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported damage to railway lines, causing delays and rerouting several passenger trains. Despite the chaos, Ukraine’s air defence units managed to destroy 478 of the air weapons launched overnight.
The overnight attack is part of a growing wave of Russian airstrikes that have intensified in recent weeks, causing some of the deadliest damage since the war began in February 2022. Social media videos captured the terror on the ground, showing residents running for shelter and firefighters battling large fires in the dark.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. U.S. President Donald Trump said a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin brought no progress. Kyiv has warned that Washington’s decision to pause some weapon shipments could weaken Ukraine’s defences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to speak with Trump to discuss continued U.S. support.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, late Thursday shelling by Russian forces killed five people near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a strategic area under attack for months. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians, but thousands have died in the conflict — the majority being Ukrainian civilians caught in crossfire or under attack.