Russia battered Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight with one of its biggest ballistic missile barrages of the war, killing at least one person and wounding 16 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Sunday. A series of powerful explosions thundered across the darkened city in an attack that involved 41 missiles of various types and ravaged buildings across several districts. Residential buildings, warehouses, a supermarket and a dormitory were among the structures damaged, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported, adding that three people were in a serious condition. The attack began at around 1:30 a.m. local time and continued for several hours, with witnesses reporting explosions so powerful they set off car alarms across the city center.

At one location in western Kyiv, emergency workers picked through smouldering debris and doused bombed-out apartments. The State Emergency Service dispatched emergency workers to several locations across three city districts as fires broke out in residential and non-residential areas. Closer to the city centre, an underground pedestrian passage near a frequently targeted metro station had caved in, leaving a pile of rubble. Several non-residential buildings and warehouses were struck in the attack, while parked cars and office buildings caught fire in multiple districts across the capital.

Residents Describe Terrifying Impact of Strikes

“My grandmother lives with me, and she can’t walk. How could I run away and leave her behind?” a resident who identified himself as Vlad told Reuters after a blast tore off his balcony door, which smashed him in the head.

Rescue workers pulled four people from a burning private home in the Sviatoshynskyi district, while in the Shevchenkivskyi district they rescued residents from a burning three-story building. Mayor Klitschko confirmed that multiple fires had been reported across the city in both residential and non-residential areas. Two people were wounded in the Kyiv region, according to the military administration, and warehouses there were also damaged. An AFP journalist reported that one of the explosions was so powerful that it set off car alarms across the city center, illustrating the intensity of the assault.

Scale of Russian Offensive Revealed

Moscow launched the largest number of ballistic missiles in a single attack since the start of its full-scale war, Kyiv’s acting foreign minister said on Sunday. Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that around four dozen ballistic missiles struck the capital. Kyiv’s military said it had shot down 18 missiles in Sunday’s attack, which was aimed primarily at the Ukrainian capital. The air force reported that 23 missiles and 10 drones had hit 20 locations during the attack.

Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 108 out of 125 drones launched during Sunday’s broader attack. This demonstrates both the scale of Russian operations and the effectiveness of existing defense systems when available. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing several explosions, including those from air defense systems attempting to intercept incoming missiles. The combination of ballistic missiles and drones represented a significant escalation in the complexity and intensity of Russian strikes against the Ukrainian capital.

Critical Shortage of Air Defense Systems

Russian forces have stepped up ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities in recent weeks as Ukraine struggles with a critical shortage of U.S.-designed air defence. The mounting Russian attacks are heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences. President Zelenskiy said last week that the U.S. and Ukraine have reached a political agreement on licences to make the prized Patriot interceptors. He added that he hoped production could begin by the end of the year, offering a potential long-term solution to the air defense gap.

“Protection against ballistic missiles is our constant and top priority right now. Interceptors are needed every day,” Zelenskiy said on X on Sunday.

Urgent International Response Required

Acting Foreign Minister Sybiha called for immediate international action following the unprecedented assault. He wrote on X urging appropriate and strong responses, stating that Ukraine needs devastating pressure on Moscow to end this terror. President Zelenskiy reiterated the country’s urgent need for anti-ballistic interceptors, expressing gratitude to partners who take their agreements seriously and ensure the delivery of anti-ballistic capabilities. The humanitarian toll of the attacks continues to mount, with civilians bearing the brunt of the intensified missile strikes.

The current situation underscores the urgent need for enhanced air defense capabilities to protect civilian populations in Ukraine’s major cities. Both sides have regularly resorted to drone strikes, but Moscow increasingly deploys ballistic missiles that prove harder to intercept and cause more catastrophic damage. The scale of Sunday’s attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with Russia demonstrating its willingness to launch massive coordinated strikes against civilian infrastructure. Emergency services remain on high alert as the threat of further attacks continues to loom over the capital and surrounding regions.

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