Explosions shook the city, and black smoke was visible rising from the heart of the Ukrainian capital. This assault represents the heaviest bombardment of Kyiv in several months and comes just before a significant NATO summit in Washington.
Other Ukrainian cities were also targeted in this barrage, with an attack on Kryvyi Rih reportedly killing at least 10 people. In total, at least 20 people have died and 50 have been injured nationwide. In Kyiv alone, 10 people were killed and 35 were wounded, according to officials.
Additional explosions were heard over the capital after the initial strikes as Ukrainian air defenses intercepted more projectiles, believed to be drones. Rescue teams are working to clear debris from the country’s largest children’s hospital. Images from the facility show people digging through rubble, black smoke enveloping a damaged building, and medical staff in blood-stained scrubs. Some children, still attached to medical equipment, were pictured outside the building being cared for by staff and family members.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia targeted five cities with over 40 missiles, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which travel at speeds up to 10 times the speed of sound, making them difficult to intercept. He noted that people remain trapped under the rubble of the children’s hospital.
The Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine’s largest pediatric facility, was heavily damaged. Although exact casualty numbers are not yet confirmed, reports indicate that at least five people were killed there, with rescue operations ongoing.
Russian strikes also ‘destroyed or damaged’ three electrical substations in Kyiv, according to the energy operator DTEK. Other cities, including Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slov’yansk, and Kramatorsk, were similarly affected by the attacks, which have had a severe impact on civilians. In Kryvyi Rih, President Zelensky’s hometown, ten people were reported killed and 31 wounded.
President Zelensky, currently visiting Poland, condemned the attacks, stating, “Russian terrorists once again massively attacked Ukraine with missiles.” He highlighted the damage to residential areas, infrastructure, and the children’s hospital, calling the attacks acts of terrorism and genocide.
International condemnation followed, with the UK’s newly appointed Foreign Minister David Lammy calling for accountability for Russia’s ‘illegal war’ and reaffirming the UK’s support for Ukraine.
“Russia’s strike on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv is an appalling attack on Ukrainian civilians,” Lammy stated on Twitter. “My thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones. The UK’s support to Ukraine is iron-clad. We must hold those responsible for Putin’s illegal war to account.”
