Kyiv, June 17, 2025: Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 100 others, in what Ukrainian officials have called one of the most devastating strikes on the capital since the war began.
Among the dead was a 62-year-old U.S. citizen, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who confirmed that over 40 apartments were destroyed in one nine-storey residential building after a direct hit by a ballistic missile in the Solomyanskyi district. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors under the rubble into late afternoon.
Initially, authorities feared as many as 15 people had been killed in Kyiv alone, but the toll was later revised to 10. Two more people were reported killed in a separate drone attack in Odesa, with 10 others wounded.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko revealed that 32 missiles and 440 drones were launched in the coordinated assault, targeting residential buildings, critical infrastructure, and educational facilities across Kyiv and other cities. A total of 27 locations in the capital came under fire.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is attending the G7 summit in Canada, called the overnight attack “pure terrorism”, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of inflicting large-scale civilian suffering “solely because he can afford to continue this war.”
“It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people,” Zelensky said.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed it had targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities, and that all intended targets were successfully hit.
Mayor Klitschko stood in front of the destroyed apartment block Tuesday morning and denounced Russia for allegedly using cluster munitions packed with ball bearings to maximize casualties.
“Waking up in utter nightmare: people trapped under rubble and full buildings collapsed,” Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko posted on X.
Loud explosions and the rattle of anti-aircraft machine guns rocked Kyiv for over nine hours, forcing residents into bomb shelters from midnight until after dawn. Ongoing air raid sirens even disrupted rescue efforts throughout the day.
Interior Minister Klymenko noted that early misreporting of death tolls was due to misidentification of body parts, adding that rescue operations continued at two separate sites where people remained trapped.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of launching a retaliatory missile strike on Donetsk, a Russian-occupied region in eastern Ukraine, reportedly wounding at least 10 people. Russian news agencies also reported that 147 Ukrainian drones were shot down across nine Russian regions overnight.
The assault on Kyiv comes amid intensified Russian airstrikes, with Moscow deploying large swarms of drones and missiles in recent weeks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences.
In a further blow to Ukraine, hopes of high-level engagement at the G7 summit were dashed after former U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly cut short his visit, canceling a potential meeting with Zelensky.
Despite this, the UK and its allies are expected to announce a fresh round of sanctions on Russia later today, as Western governments seek to maintain pressure on Moscow over its ongoing war.
