Russian strikes kill 13 in Kyiv, surrounding region

Kyiv, Ukraine experienced a devastating Russian bombardment overnight, with at least 13 people losing their lives, according to authorities. President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a world response to Moscow's escalation of the four-year conflict. Rescue workers searched through the debris of destroyed buildings, including a damaged children's hospital, as grieving families mourned the loss of two individuals pulled from an apartment building.

One resident, Maria Abramova, described the sudden destruction, stating that their home had been replaced by rubble mere minutes after the air raid alert. The ballistic missiles fired by Russia travel at high speeds and reach Kyiv within minutes of the warning, leaving residents with little time to seek shelter. Despite struggling to intercept these missiles, Ukraine has called on its allies for additional support amid Russia's increased strikes.

The death toll stands at 12 in the capital and one in the surrounding region. The attack damaged warehouses in Boryspil, outside Kyiv, including a facility operated by the Ukrainian Red Cross. Russia launched a total of 44 missiles, of which 39 were shot down, while Moscow claimed the strikes targeted military-industrial facilities, transportation and logistics centers, and warehouses.

Neighboring NATO member states, Poland and Romania, responded to the attacks by mobilizing aircraft and activating air defenses. Romania also scrambled fighter jets and encountered a crashed drone in its territory. Despite near-nightly attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine has escalated its retaliatory strikes on Russia in recent months, as diplomatic efforts have failed to reach a resolution to Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.