Major Russian Assault on Kyiv Leaves Six Dead in Residential Building
A massive Russian missile barrage hit Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Friday, resulting in the deaths of six people when an apartment block was struck directly. The attack, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned as "heinous" and designed to spread terror, represented one of the largest assaults on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.
According to authorities, the widespread attack damaged buildings across most districts of Kyiv, with a hospital, shops, and offices among the structures hit. The assault left 36 people wounded and plunged several districts into darkness due to power cuts during the night.
Resident Accounts and Building Destruction
AFP journalists in eastern Kyiv witnessed charred multi-storey buildings with dozens of windows and balconies completely blown out from the impact. Rescue workers cleared debris as residents shared harrowing accounts of their experiences.
"My hair caught fire and I started putting it out," said Maria Kalchenko, a resident outside one of the damaged buildings. She described searching for her dog moments before a nearby wall collapsed. "The doors were blown out, flames everywhere, the fire spreading, the neighbours screaming," she told AFP reporters at the scene.
The attack also damaged the embassy of Azerbaijan, prompting the Baku government to summon Moscow's envoy to protest the incident.
Ukraine's Air Defense Success Against Massive Drone Attack
Ukraine's air force reported impressive defensive results during the assault, stating they had intercepted 405 out of 430 drones launched by Russian forces along with 14 out of 19 missiles. AFP journalists observed Ukrainian forces using tracer bullets and missile-defense systems throughout the night, with incandescent debris falling over large areas of the city and bright orange explosion flashes lighting up the night sky.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously to AFP, confirmed that air-defense systems performed particularly well during this attack compared to previous engagements where there had been "certain issues with air defence." The official noted that Russian forces have begun using "significantly more ballistic missiles," which are particularly difficult to intercept due to their speed and trajectory.
"They combine ballistic and aeroballistic missiles with waves of drones. It is not easy to shoot down," the official explained.
International Condemnation and Regional Attacks
Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that the Friday attack demonstrated Moscow's "contempt for humanity" and represented part of Putin's strategy "to make winter as unbearable as possible for Ukraine, to destroy morale and break the resistance of the Ukrainian people."
The assault on Kyiv was part of a broader offensive that included a separate Russian drone attack on a market in the southern city of Chornomorsk that killed two people and wounded seven, according to Odesa region governor Oleg Kiper.
Meanwhile, Ukraine conducted retaliatory strikes, with President Zelensky confirming the use of long-range Neptune missiles against targets on Russian territory. Russian officials reported a fire at a Black Sea oil refinery in Novorossiysk and damage to a civilian vessel that wounded three people.
The attacks come as Moscow's troops continue advancing on the eastern front, with hundreds of Russian troops having entered the eastern city of Pokrovsk according to Ukrainian concessions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender more eastern territory as a condition for ending the war, while Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities behind front lines.
