- Massive Russian Barrage Triggers International Condemnation as Kyiv Seeks More Air Defense Support
KYIV: Ukraine and Russia vowed further military action on Thursday following one of the deadliest Russian attacks on Kyiv in recent months, which killed at least 27 people, injured dozens, and forced tens of thousands of residents into shelters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged a firm response to the overnight assault as he visited a residential building partially destroyed in the strikes.
“We will definitely respond,” Zelensky said, while urging Western allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and approve licenses for the domestic production of Patriot missile systems.
The European Union also reacted strongly, with the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, announcing plans to propose additional sanctions against Moscow.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire.
“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure wherever they occur are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must stop immediately,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
The Kremlin, however, signaled no change in its position, pledging to intensify pressure on Kyiv and maintaining its hardline stance on the conflict.
Deadliest Attack in Recent Years
Russia has repeatedly launched large-scale missile and drone assaults during its more than four-year invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing more than a dozen explosions overnight as residents rushed to seek refuge in metro stations. By morning, thick smoke covered parts of the capital, while emergency workers searched through the rubble of shattered apartment buildings.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the assault as the “enemy’s most massive attack on the capital.”
According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, the strikes killed 27 people and wounded 91 others.
The Ukrainian Red Cross reported that one of its main warehouses was destroyed, resulting in the loss of approximately $2 million worth of humanitarian aid.
European Union spokesperson Anitta Hipper said debris from the attack also damaged a building housing several diplomats, although all EU personnel remained unharmed.
In the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, two people were injured after a missile struck a densely populated area, local military officials said early Friday.
Ukraine Appeals for More Patriot Systems
Kyiv renewed its calls for additional Western air defense assistance following the attack.
“We also very much count on a decision by the United States regarding licenses for Patriots,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook.
Following talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelensky stressed that effective protection against ballistic missiles depended on securing more Patriot interceptor missiles.
“Defending against ballistic missiles is impossible without a sufficient number of missiles for Patriot systems,” he said.
Ukraine has expressed interest in producing ammunition for the US-made air defense system domestically, although defense analysts caution that establishing such production capabilities would take considerable time.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 496 drones and 74 missiles during the assault, including ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept. It reported shooting down 476 drones and 48 missiles.
Thousands Seek Refuge Underground
The scale of the attack forced approximately 52,000 people, including 4,500 children, to shelter in Kyiv’s underground metro stations, marking the highest number in recent years, according to city authorities.
Many residents also spent the night in basements and corridors as explosions reverberated across the capital.
“Half the building has been destroyed. The roof is gone,” said 32-year-old factory worker Sabina Mambetova, whose apartment in Kyiv’s eastern Darnytskyi district was heavily damaged.
“I’ve been left without an apartment, alone with my child. I don’t know what to do now,” she said.
Doctor Kateryna Kucheryava, sheltering in a metro station with her daughter, described the emotional strain of the bombardment.
“It’s hard. My child is used to sleeping in complete silence and darkness,” the 32-year-old told AFP. “I picked her up and carried her down. She woke up and now she’s not sleeping anymore.”
Along the station platforms, residents set up makeshift camps with air mattresses, tents, and camping chairs, while parents tried to comfort young children amid the ongoing air raid alerts.
Zelensky Cuts Ireland Visit Short
The attack came shortly after Zelensky cut short an official visit to Dublin on Wednesday, citing intelligence warnings of a major impending Russian strike.
The Ukrainian leader later said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing the large-scale assault for some time.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified its own long-range drone operations inside Russian territory in recent weeks, targeting military facilities and energy infrastructure.
Russian officials have reported frequent Ukrainian strikes in border regions, while Moscow claims its air defenses have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones in recent days, underscoring the continuing escalation in the conflict.
BY: The Times Union
