Russia launched a massive missile and drone bombardment on Kyiv on Thursday, which the Russian Foreign Ministry described as the “largest attack” on the Ukrainian capital, and said was a response to Ukrainian drone attacks that have killed civilians inside Russia.
According to Ukrainian officials, the Russian bombardment killed at least 21 civilians in Kyiv and injured more than 90, and children were among the casualties. The Associated Press reported that the attack lasted for 11 hours, and about 50,000 Ukrainians took shelter in subway stations.
Ukraine’s air force said that Russian forces fired 74 missiles and 496 drones at Kyiv. It claimed that most were intercepted, while 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones struck 33 locations in the Ukrainian capital.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack targeted “enterprises of the military-industrial sector, fuel, and energy” located in Kyiv, though photos show apartment buildings were also hit during the bombardment. The ministry said the attack was launched in retaliation for “Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory.”
In recent months, Ukraine has dramatically ramped up its drone attacks on Russia, which have targeted oil infrastructure and killed many civilians. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday that Ukrainian drone attacks over the past week have killed 42 Russian civilians, including two children, and, on the same day, a six-month-old baby was killed during a drone attack on the Moscow region.
Ukraine’s drone attacks are known to be supported by NATO and the US, which provide intelligence for the operations, meaning they always risk an escalation between Russia and NATO.
