Photo: ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / AFP / Getty Images
At least 18 people have died, and over 100 are injured following a significant Russian attack on Ukraine, targeting two cities, including the capital, Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched more than 70 missiles and over 650 drones overnight. The strikes resulted in extensive damage to dozens of buildings.
Russia confirmed the attack, stating it was in retaliation for a deadly drone strike last month on a dormitory in Ukraine's Russian-held region of Luhansk. Ukraine, however, denies targeting civilians. The Russian defense ministry claimed the use of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, describing it as a response to Ukraine's "attacks on civilian infrastructure." Ukraine's military has refuted these claims, maintaining they did not target civilians.
The attack has drawn condemnation from European leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the use of the Oreshnik missile, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas labeled it a "political scare-tactic and reckless nuclear-brinkmanship." UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also condemned the "awful scenes" in Kyiv.
BBC News reported that Kyiv was the main target, with other areas also affected. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 69 people were injured in the capital alone, and a water-supply facility was attacked. The Chornobyl Museum in Kyiv was also "effectively destroyed," according to Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The attack has intensified the ongoing conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The United Nations has condemned attacks against civilians, but details remain unverified due to restricted access to the area.