Ukraine says hundreds of drones and missiles targeted cities across the country as officials accused Moscow of escalating attacks during President Donald Trump’s summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Russian forces launched another massive wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least seven people in Kyiv after a strike destroyed a nine-story apartment building and leaving dozens more injured nationwide, according to Ukrainian officials.
Emergency crews continued searching through debris in Kyiv’s Darnytsia district after the overnight strike demolished an apartment block near the Dnieper River. Officials said all 18 apartments inside the building were destroyed.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 12-year-old girl was among those killed. Ukraine’s emergency service stated that at least 20 people remained missing beneath the rubble.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than 30 residents were injured in the collapse while emergency personnel managed to rescue 28 people from the building.
Images from the scene showed smoke rising from shattered concrete and twisted metal as rescue workers carried survivors away on stretchers.
Residents described the strike as one of the most intense bombardments of the war.
Lyudmila Hlushko, 78, told the Associated Press she awoke around 3 a.m. to explosions and incoming rockets.
“Then the house shook violently and there was a loud bang, breaking the glass in my house,” she said.
Another resident, Nadiia Lobanova, said the city endured “a terrible night.”
“We’re used to this. Well, it’s impossible to get used to this, but somehow we held on,” she said.
The latest assault marked the third consecutive day of large-scale Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and more than 1,560 drones against Ukrainian population centers since Wednesday.
According to Zelenskyy, approximately 180 locations nationwide sustained damage, including more than 50 residential buildings.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that air defenses intercepted or electronically jammed 693 Russian aerial targets overnight, including 41 missiles and 652 drones.
Officials said 15 missiles and 23 drones nevertheless struck targets directly across 24 locations, while debris from intercepted drones damaged additional areas.
Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat described the recent bombardments as the largest attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
“We are now experiencing the largest strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion,” Ihnat said during remarks carried by Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne.
Strikes also hit the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Bila Tserkva, and Kremenchuk, officials said.
Ukraine’s national electricity operator Ukrenergo reported that attacks on energy infrastructure temporarily disrupted power service in Kyiv and 11 surrounding regions.
The Kyiv headquarters of drone manufacturer Skyeton was also destroyed during the overnight strikes, though company officials said production facilities had already been relocated in anticipation of future attacks.
Ukrainian officials noted that the assault occurred during President Donald Trump’s summit meetings in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said both leaders possessed enough leverage to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending the war.
“At the very time when leaders of the most powerful countries are meeting in Beijing, and the world hopes for peace, predictability and cooperation, Putin launched hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles at the capital of Ukraine,” Sybiha wrote in a statement posted on X.
“Only pressure on Moscow can make him stop,” he added.
The attacks followed a May 9–11 ceasefire period that Trump previously said he had urged both Zelenskyy and Putin to observe, although fighting reportedly continued at reduced levels during the temporary pause.
British Defense Secretary John Healey condemned Thursday’s strikes as “shocking” and announced accelerated deliveries of additional British air defense systems to Ukraine.
Despite heavy bombardment, Ukrainian officials said the country’s interception rate remained above 93%, though military leaders acknowledged growing strain on the nation’s air defense systems after repeated large-scale attacks.
Wednesday’s preceding Russian assault involved approximately 800 drones and killed at least six people, according to Ukrainian officials, making it one of the most prolonged coordinated bombardments of the war.
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