KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack hit Kyiv overnight, killing nine people and injuring another 63, including six children, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said on its Telegram channel that Russia struck Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles. At least 42 people were hospitalized, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. Rescue operations were still underway early morning Thursday to find bodies under the rubble.
Fires were reported in several residential buildings said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city military administration.
The attack, which began around 1:00 a.m., hit at least four neighborhoods in Kyiv. In Sviatoshynkskyi district, a fire broke out in a residential building that was damaged in the attack.
The Associated Press saw rescue teams dig out people trapped under the rubble of the building and dead bodies being taken away.
Oksana Bilozir, a student, was receiving medical care for a head injury near the impact site. She said that she heard a loud explosion after the air alarm blared and began to grab her things to flee to a shelter when another blast caused her home's walls to crumble and the lights to go off.
The attack came hours after peace negotiations appeared to stall, with President Donald Trump lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying Zelenksyy was prolonging the “killing field” by pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.
Zelenskyy has said multiple times that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a red line for his country.
“I honestly don't even know how this will all end, it's very scary,” said Bilozir, referring to the war against Russia's invasion. “I only believe that if we can stop them on the battlefield, then that's it. No diplomacy works here.”
More fires were reported in the Shevchenkivsky and Holosiivskyi districts.
Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, a mother of two, was sheltering in a basement after multiple blasts damaged her home. Her family was sleeping when the first explosion shattered their windows and sent kitchen appliances flying in the air. Shards of glass rained down on them as they rushed to take cover in the corridor.
“After that we came to the shelter because it was scary and dangerous at home,” she said.
Vasilisa Stepanenko And Samya Kullab, The Associated Press
