At least nine people have been killed and more than 70 wounded in a “massive” missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s state emergency service said, among the deadliest attacks on the capital of the three-year war.
Ukrainian authorities issued an alert for a missile attack and journalists heard explosions across the capital early this morning.
“Russia has launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv,” Ukraine’s state emergency service said on Telegram, updating the toll.
Six children were reported to among the wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would cut short a trip to South Africa and return to Kyiv following the attack.
Mr Zelensky, who has been trying to shore up international support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion, said he would immediately travel back to Ukraine after meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will hold all necessary meetings in South Africa to fully inform the country’s political and public leaders about the situation,” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram app.
In Kyiv, rescue teams are operating at 13 sites with climbing specialists and sniffer dogs. Forty fires had broken out.
“Mobile telephones are heard ringing beneath rubble. The search will continue until it become clear that they have got everyone,” the state emergency service said.
Five districts across the capital suffered damage, including fires in garages and administrative buildings that have been extinguished.
The state emergency service said the attack also damaged residential buildings.
“The search for people under the rubble is under way,” it said.
In a bomb shelter set up in a basement of a residential building, over a dozen residents gathered after the air alert started.
Kyiv was last hit by missiles in early April when at least three people were wounded.
It has been the target of sporadic attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 215 drones and missiles in the overnight attack on the country.
Air force units shot down 48 missiles and 64 drones, while 68 drones were redirected by electronic warfare, the air force said in a post on Telegram.
There was also damage in Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, where emergency services said Russian forces launched a repeat strike on rescue teams attending a fire, injuring one worker.
Ukrainian state railway Ukrzaliznytsia said that railway infrastructure had come under attack and two railway workers were hurt.
In Ukraine’s east, the city of Kharkiv was hit by seven missiles, city mayor Igor Terekhov said, adding later that it was “under attack by cruise missiles for the second time in one night”.
“One of the most recent strikes hit a densely populated residential area … Two people were injured there. The inspection of the sites of enemy strikes is under way,” Mr Terekhov said, urging the city’s residents to “be careful”.
Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was attacking Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities.
“Putin shows only a desire to kill,” he said. “The attacks on civilians must stop.”
The attack comes after US President Donald Trump said he thinks he has a deal with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Zelensky to settle the war.
Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump also said he found it harder than expected to work with the Ukrainian leader.
Other administration officials said earlier in the day that a deal remains elusive and that the United States could walk away from peace talks in the absence of quick progress.
