At least nine people were killed and 70 injured in a combined Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday.
The State Emergency Situations Service reported 42 of the injured had been hospitalised, including six children. A pregnant woman was also among those hurt, officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy announced he is cutting short his official trip to South Africa and returning home after the deadly attack.
The strikes, which began late on Wednesday and continued into the early hours of Thursday, caused widespread damage across several districts of the city, Kyiv officials said. Fires broke out at more than a dozen locations as emergency crews worked through the night.
“Kyiv is subjected to a combined attack, including ballistic missile strikes from different directions,” said Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration. He described the attack as “Russian peace in all its glory.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Sviatoshynskyi district had been hit particularly hard, with damage reported to homes, garages and cars. “Three children and a pregnant woman are among those hospitalised,” he said.
The State Emergency Service reported multiple fires in the Holosiivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts and said rescue teams were continuing to search for people trapped under rubble. Support teams and search dogs were deployed at the scene.
Russia has launched frequent missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Kyiv has increasingly been targeted in recent months, with strikes often hitting civilian infrastructure.
The Russian Defence Ministry did not comment on the latest attack. Moscow has previously denied deliberately targeting civilians during the conflict.
