Last night, Russia began extensive attacks on Ukraine by firing ballistic missiles and attack drones, resulting in at least one death and 34 injuries in Kyiv. The city's prosecutor's office announced that 12 regions of Ukraine were bombarded.
Widespread damage in Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, stated in a Telegram post following the attacks: "Russian humanitarians" carried out three waves of ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, firing a total of 21 missiles. Zelensky added that these attacks caused serious damage to residential buildings, energy infrastructure, railway stations, the metro, shopping centers, and industries. Even a monastery is among the damaged locations.
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Ukraine's defense and Russian casualties
Ukrainian forces reported that they shot down 181 of the 210 Russian drones, but they were unable to intercept any of the ballistic missiles. Zelensky stated that the Russian attack began "almost immediately" after the conclusion of talks between Steve Vitkoff, the U.S. special representative, and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.
Vitkoff described Putin as a "humanitarian" after the talks in St. Petersburg. This term, according to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, was related to the release of Steven Hubbard, an American citizen detained in Russia since 2022. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, also said after these talks: "We are nearing the end of the war. We may be closer than ever now."
Ukrainian forces also reported that in these attacks, 2,250 Russian soldiers were killed and wounded, marking the highest Russian casualties in a 24-hour period since 2022. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army released this information in a press statement.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced on Thursday that it had shot down 808 Ukrainian drones in 17 regions, including occupied areas of Ukraine.
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