Russian missile barrage on Kyiv leaves at least six dead, Ukrainian officials say

At least six people were killed and several dozen were injured, Ukraine's state emergency service said. Rescue teams were working through the morning to clear rubble and reach residents in damaged high-rise blocks.

The strikes marked another major aerial assault on the capital in the renewed Russian campaign of long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities that began in 2022. Air raid warnings sounded across most of the country in the hours before impact, and Ukraine's air force said it had engaged incoming missiles with available air-defense assets.

Response from Kyiv and air defenses

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media that Russia had used ballistic and cruise missiles in the attack and urged Ukraine's partners to accelerate deliveries of air-defense systems. He said energy and transport infrastructure were among the targets.

In the Darnytskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts, residents were being evacuated from partially collapsed sections of two apartment blocks, local officials said. Power outages were reported in parts of the left bank of the capital and in neighboring Brovary.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said hospitals had received a steady flow of casualties and called on residents who had evacuated damaged buildings to go to designated assistance centers set up in schools and community halls.

Diplomatic and military context

Western capitals were informed of the attack through Ukraine's diplomatic channels, and several embassies in Kyiv said their compounds had activated emergency procedures. No foreign-national casualties were confirmed in the initial reports.

Russia has framed previous strikes on Ukrainian cities as targeting military and logistics infrastructure. Independent observers have repeatedly documented significant civilian harm from such attacks, which Ukrainian authorities say amount to deliberate strikes on populated areas.

The attack came amid an intensified Russian push to degrade Ukraine's air defenses and energy grid ahead of winter, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. Energy officials warned that repair crews were already stretched after months of sustained strikes.

What comes next

Ukraine's air force said it had shot down a significant share of the incoming missiles, though it did not give a precise figure in the immediate aftermath. Officials cautioned that the tally of casualties could rise as search operations continued.

Diplomatic activity in support of Ukraine, including ongoing discussions of additional sanctions on Moscow, was expected to resume in the days following the strike, Ukrainian officials said.