Deadly Russian air strikes hit Kyiv and Kharkiv amid escalating attacks
At least three civilians were killed in Ukraine overnight as Russian forces launched a fresh wave of air strikes, including a second consecutive night of attacks on the capital Kyiv. The attacks, which involved drones and missiles, also struck the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where two people died and 20 were injured, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
In Kyiv, one woman was killed and two others injured, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city administration. Several explosions were heard shortly after midnight, before the air raid alert was issued—an unusual sequence that left residents with less time to seek shelter. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 169 long-range strike drones and seven missiles, including five ballistic missiles. Air defences shot down or jammed 139 drones, but all five ballistic missiles and 20 drones struck targets at 15 locations, highlighting the continued strain on Ukraine's air defence systems.
The attacks caused damage to administrative buildings, warehouses, a garage complex, and several city trams in Kyiv, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian guided bomb injured an elderly man and a woman, said regional head Ivan Fedorov.
Russia's Defence Ministry said the military targeted arms industry facilities in Kyiv, striking a plant that manufactures components for Flamingo cruise missiles and a facility assembling mid- and long-range drones. The ministry also claimed that air defences downed 415 Ukrainian drones from late Tuesday to early Wednesday. In the Russian region of Saratov, Governor Roman Busargin said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person, injured several others, and damaged unspecified industrial facilities. In Nizhnekamsk, Mayor Radmir Belyayev reported that Ukrainian drones damaged industrial facilities and injured several people, without naming the facilities.
In the Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slyusar said Ukrainian drones hit two oil tankers in Taganrog Bay, injuring two crew members. One crew had to be evacuated. Slyusar noted that the tankers were empty and heading to the port of Rostov-on-Don, so there was no oil spill.
The overnight attacks underscore the ongoing intensity of the conflict, with both sides continuing to strike military and industrial targets, and civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
