Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Russia pounds Kyiv with missiles and drones, shaking city center and injuring 10

Russia Ukraine War - (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia attacked Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight Sunday in an intense assault that shook buildings across the city center, including near government offices, residential buildings and schools.

At least 10 people were injured, local authorities said, citing preliminary figures. Air raid sirens blared through the night as smoke billowed across the city from strikes. Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions near the city center and close to government buildings.

The attack was ongoing by sunrise Sunday, with more missiles and drones expected to reach Kyiv.

Damage was recorded across at least nine districts of the capital including residential buildings, Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a Telegram post.

In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, a school building was damaged by an attack while people sheltered inside, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Local authorities reported supermarkets and warehouses across the city also were damaged.

Multiple communities recorded damage throughout the Kyiv region, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, the regional governor.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was planning to use the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, citing intelligence from the U.S. and Western partners. Ukraine's Air Force later warned of a possible launch of the Oreshnik.

It was not immediately clear if the missile had been used in the overnight attack.

Russia first used the multiple-warhead Oreshnik on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. It was used a second time in January in the western Lviv region.

President Vladimir Putin said the Oreshnik, which means “hazelnut tree” in Russian, streaks at 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10, and is capable of destroying underground bunkers “three, four or more floors down.”

The weapon travels “like a meteorite” and is immune to any missile defense system, Putin said, adding that several such missiles, even fitted with conventional warheads, could be as devastating as a nuclear strike.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.