Russia's missile barrage kills 13 in Kyiv, wounds 86

At least 13 people were killed and 86 others injured in one of the most devastating overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks Russia has launched on Kyiv in recent memory, local authorities said, as the barrage struck residential buildings across the Ukrainian capital.

The attack was carried out in waves from late Wednesday night (July 1) into the early hours of Thursday (July 2), according to local administration officials.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that the sudden ballistic missile and drone strikes shook the entire capital, confirming 13 deaths so far. Of the 86 injured, 70 were in critical condition and had been hospitalised, he said.

The mayor said the intensity of the attack sparked a fire on the roof of a hotel in the city's central Shevchenko Boulevard area, while a residential building took a direct missile hit that caused six floors of the nine-storey structure to collapse entirely.

Footage from news agency Reuters showed emergency rescue teams working desperately to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble of the collapsed building.

Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said at least 36 locations across the capital sustained serious damage in the overnight assault, most of them civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Residents took shelter in bunkers through the night as loud explosions echoed across different parts of the city.

Ukrainian intelligence agencies had earlier signalled the possibility of a large-scale Russian aerial assault. Following news of the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short his visit to Dublin, Ireland, and decided to return home immediately, according to the report.

Source: Deutsche Welle