Russian missile strikes kill 12 in Kyiv overnight, officials report

Explosions reverberated across Kyiv throughout Thursday night as Russian missiles targeted 12 locations across the Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, according to local authorities. The strikes damaged residential buildings, medical facilities and an educational institution, with emergency crews launching rescue operations at multiple sites.

In the Solomianskyi district, the impact destroyed the top two floors of a nine-storey residential building and sparked fires on additional levels. Rescue teams worked to extract residents from the rubble and from two residential buildings and a school shelter where people remained trapped.

Among those affected was 60-year-old Larysa Bondaruk, who sat on the ground holding her cat, Chanel, after it was rescued by firefighters. She recounted that her neighbour's grandson was among those trapped beneath the debris, underscoring the human toll of the overnight assault.

Ukraine's Emergency Service confirmed the casualty figures as rescue operations continued into the early morning hours. The incident marks the latest in a series of Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.