Russia launched 315 drones at Ukraine overnight, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “one of the largest” drone attacks on Kyiv. In the southern port city of Odesa, local officials reported that a maternity ward was also hit during the strikes.
Seven districts of Kyiv were damaged, with fires reported in residential buildings, cars, warehouses, and high-rises. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, called it “a tough night for all of us.” Four people were reportedly wounded in the capital, according to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.
“Today was one of the largest attacks on Kyiv,” Zelensky posted. “Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace.”
Air raid sirens rang for hours while explosions echoed across the city, with air defense systems active throughout the night.
In Odesa, at least two men were killed and nine others wounded. A maternity ward was among the buildings struck, according to Andriy Yermak, Chief of Presidential Staff. Video footage showed a hospital worker sweeping up shards of glass from the damaged ward.
Residents shared accounts of the terrifying night. Violetta, 78, described how her garage and apartment roof were destroyed. “Thank God I’m not hurt,” she said. “My neighbor, a boy, was wounded by flying glass and had to get stitches.”
Another resident, Lyudmila, 60, said, “It’s very scary because it’s close by. Drones were flying around, banging and banging. In four years, this is the first time we’ve been hit. It’s very hard mentally.”
Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that Russia also launched two KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles in the overnight assault.
The strikes come just after Russia’s largest drone attack on Monday, when it fired 479 UAVs in a single night—marking the second weekend in a row with record-breaking drone strikes.