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Russian air assault on Kyiv leaves dozens dead and wounded

Monday 23 June 2025 - 16:06

By: Zahouani Ilham

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A large-scale Russian aerial assault has killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens more in Kyiv and surrounding areas, Ukrainian officials reported on Monday. The attack, described as "massive," struck multiple residential neighborhoods across the capital during the early hours, marking the second major night-time offensive within a week.

Ukrainian air force sources confirmed that Russia launched 352 drones and decoys, alongside 11 ballistic and five cruise missiles. Most of the incoming threats were intercepted or jammed by Ukraine’s air defense systems before they reached their targets.

Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, stated that the strikes occurred in multiple waves and followed a consistent pattern of targeting populated areas. "The Russians continue to strike where civilians are likely to be," Tkachenko said, emphasizing that homes, hospitals, sports facilities, and even a metro entrance functioning as a bomb shelter were among the affected sites.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko noted that six of the capital’s ten districts sustained damage and reported that at least 10 people were injured. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, several lives were lost when a residential high-rise suffered a direct hit, with more people believed to be trapped under the debris.

Further attacks were reported in other regions. A drone strike late Sunday in Chernihiv province killed two people and injured 10, including three children. In Bila Tserkva, located southwest of Kyiv, another person was killed and eight were wounded during overnight strikes.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary intelligence indicated the use of North Korean missiles in the attack on Kyiv. He condemned what he called a “coalition of murderers,” referring to Russia, North Korea, and Iran—the latter of which has supplied drones to Moscow. Zelenskyy also warned of a growing threat of regional instability should their cooperation continue.

Russia’s military stated that its overnight assault targeted facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial infrastructure in the Kyiv region. Despite denials from both sides about targeting civilians, thousands have died since the war began in February 2022, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

This latest offensive comes just days after Russia’s deadliest attack on Kyiv, where a swarm of drones killed 28 people and wounded over 150, hitting nearly 30 locations across the capital.