Kyiv – Rescue operations are underway in the Ukrainian capital after a barrage of Russian strikes, primarily targeting residential buildings, claimed lives and left numerous individuals injured. Officials reported on Thursday morning that two people were confirmed dead, with children among the dozens wounded. The attacks, described as a "massive wave," involved a combined assault of missiles and drones that partially collapsed an apartment building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, trapping people beneath debris.
The latest strikes underscore a pattern of escalating violence that has seen Ukraine report a significant increase in Russian aerial weaponry, with over 1,560 drones reportedly targeting Ukrainian cities since Tuesday night. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that rescuers were dispatched to the damaged building.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, a major Russian attack reportedly killed six more people. Ukraine's Air Force stated that Russia launched 892 drones on that day alone. The full scope of casualties from the recent onslaught is still being assessed, with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko suggesting the death toll could rise as search efforts continue.
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This latest incident follows a string of devastating attacks on Kyiv. In June 2025, a massive overnight strike resulted in 15 fatalities, including a United States citizen, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Nearly 150 residential buildings in Kyiv were damaged during that attack, with victims recovered from under rubble. Similar incidents occurred on April 24, 2025, when rescuers recovered two more bodies from under debris in the Sviatoshynskyi district, bringing the death toll to 12.
The attacks have not been confined to Kyiv. Impacts have also been reported in other cities, including Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv. President Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused Moscow of opting for military action over diplomatic solutions, urging for stronger international responses. The destruction of an entire section of a nine-story apartment building in the Sviatoshynskyi district in July 2025 highlights the severe impact on civilian infrastructure.
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Reports from August 2025 indicated that rescue crews were hunting for survivors following deadly strikes that hit residential areas, damaging nearly 100 buildings across seven districts and a shopping mall. These events mark some of the rare instances where the city center has been directly targeted since the conflict began. The United Nations Human Rights monitors have spoken with residents whose homes were destroyed, while emergency workers searched for relatives believed trapped under rubble.
