At least 21 people, including four children, were killed and about 45 others injured after Russia launched a large overnight missile and drone strike on Kyiv on 28th August, Ukrainian officials said. Search-and-rescue teams were deployed across the capital as authorities warned the casualty toll could rise.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said emergency workers were clearing the rubble of a residential block hit during the barrage and cautioned that people could still be trapped beneath collapsed structures. Local authorities reported damage across multiple districts and confirmed that children were among the victims.
“This Russian attack is a clear response to those calling for a ceasefire and ‘real diplomacy’,” Zelenskyy said on social media. “Russia chooses ballistics, not the negotiating table.” He called for “new, tough sanctions” and said Moscow must feel consequences for each strike.
The president also said Ukraine expected reactions from countries that have advocated restraint, specifically naming China and Hungary. Beijing has repeatedly called for a halt to fighting, while Budapest has positioned itself as a potential venue for talks amid separate disputes with Kyiv.
City officials described a “massive” attack that combined ballistic and cruise missiles with attack drones. A five-storey residential building in the Darnytskyi district sustained a direct hit, and debris and blast waves damaged sites in central Kyiv, leaving streets strewn with shattered glass. Air defences engaged targets during the assault.
The scale of destruction extended beyond housing. Initial assessments indicated damage to scores of structures across seven districts, including commercial premises and railway infrastructure, causing transport disruption. Local services worked through the morning to restore utilities and secure unsafe buildings.
By mid-morning, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported roughly 45 injured, several of them children, as hospitals received casualties from multiple impact sites. Officials cautioned that figures were preliminary while fire crews and rescue teams continued operations at residential sites hit overnight.
The attack followed a series of large-scale strikes on Ukrainian capital in recent months and comes amid intermittent international efforts to explore ceasefire arrangements. Kyiv has argued that repeated bombardments during such discussions indicate that Russia is not prepared to de-escalate.
While casualty updates varied in early reports, the confirmed death toll had risen to at least eight by Thursday morning, with authorities emphasising that identification and recovery work was ongoing. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would press partners for additional measures aimed at constraining Russia’s ability to conduct long-range attacks, including further sanctions.
Emergency services published images from multiple locations showing collapsed stairwells, scorched façades and burnt-out vehicles. Municipal crews cleared debris and cordoned off damaged playgrounds and courtyards near impact sites. The city’s transport department reported delays on some commuter routes while glass and rubble were removed.
Local media and officials noted that central areas—typically less affected than outlying districts—also suffered damage in the latest assault. Residents took shelter in metro stations during the air-raid alerts, which sounded repeatedly through the night. The mayor’s office urged people to follow safety instructions and avoid returning to cordoned areas until inspections were completed.
Ukraine’s leadership framed the strike as further evidence for reinforcing air defence and tightening international restrictions on Russia’s military-industrial capacity. Kyiv has pressed for swifter decisions on missile-defence interceptors and for measures targeting supply chains supporting missile and drone production.
Thursday’s attack adds to a pattern of night-time combined strikes against population centres and infrastructure far from the front line. Investigations into the types of munitions used were under way; officials said initial indicators pointed to a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside drones used to complicate interception and overwhelm air defences.
As recovery teams continued to search damaged buildings, authorities repeated appeals for residents to heed shelter guidance during alerts and to report unexploded ordnance. The Kyiv administration said information on fatalities and injuries would be updated as identification progressed and relatives were notified.
