Russia launched one of its most intense aerial assaults on Ukraine, deploying a barrage of hypersonic and ballistic missiles including the advanced Oreshnik hypersonic missile in a mass strike targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. The attack, described by Ukrainian officials as among the largest of the war, left at least four people dead and dozens more injured, sending residents scrambling for shelter as air raid sirens blared across the country in the early hours of the morning.
The strike marked a significant escalation in Russia’s use of cutting-edge weaponry, with the Oreshnik missile — a next-generation ballistic missile capable of traveling at hypersonic speeds — being deployed as part of a broader salvo that overwhelmed Ukrainian air defences. Ukrainian emergency services worked through the night to respond to the devastation, with rescue teams pulling survivors from damaged buildings and treating the wounded at the scene. Officials warned the death toll could rise as search-and-rescue operations continued.
The human impact of the strikes was brought into sharp focus when it emerged that residential areas were among those hit, with reports confirming that one strike landed just 100 metres from the home of Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk’s parents in Kyiv. The revelation drew international attention to the indiscriminate nature of the bombardment, with Kostyuk, who has been a vocal advocate for Ukraine during the conflict, yet to publicly comment on her family’s safety. Witnesses in affected neighbourhoods described scenes of chaos, with shattered windows, damaged infrastructure, and fires breaking out across multiple districts.
The attack drew swift condemnation from Western governments and NATO allies, who called on Russia to immediately cease its targeting of civilian areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the international community to accelerate the delivery of advanced air defence systems, arguing that greater support was critical to protecting Ukrainian civilians from further strikes. Russia has not publicly commented on the specific details of the attack, though it has previously framed such strikes as targeting military and strategic infrastructure. The assault comes amid heightened tensions as the conflict enters another brutal chapter with no diplomatic resolution in sight.