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Kyiv endured one of its most harrowing nights in recent months as Russian missiles and drones battered the Ukrainian capital, killing 10 people and injuring over 30 others. The overnight assault, described by residents as "total hell," marked a significant escalation in Moscow's recent aerial offensive.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry confirmed that at least nine fatalities occurred in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, a densely populated area just a short distance from the U.S. Embassy. Among the dead was a child, and dozens of civilians were injured, including four children. Emergency services reported that 34 people were wounded in total, while firefighters battled fires and combed through debris to extract survivors.
One of the survivors, 33-year-old construction worker Valeriy Mankuta, recounted his escape to Reuters: "There were bricks on me, something in my mouth. I woke up in the rubble." His building had been struck by a missile, forcing him to climb through a shattered window to safety.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 352 drones and 16 missiles were launched across four regions, with Kyiv absorbing the majority of the barrage. Impressively, air defenses intercepted 339 drones and 15 missiles, yet even one breach proved devastating. The entrance to a metro station bomb shelter was damaged, classrooms and dormitories of a university were struck, and a hospital in Bila Tserkva was also targeted, resulting in one fatality.
In a separate attack midday Monday, two people were killed and 12 injured in Odesa after a missile hit what local authorities said was a school. President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to the attack, stated on X: "None of these Russian strikes are accidental, the Russian army knows exactly where it is targeting."
Monday's assault followed last week's deadly strike in Kyiv, which killed at least 28 and injured over 100. The intensifying attacks appear to coincide with stalled peace talks and growing frustrations on both sides. "We will not just sit in defence," said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. "Eventually, that leads to retreat, loss of people and territory."
Despite diplomatic inertia, Zelensky is set to meet Western allies in the Netherlands during an upcoming NATO summit. The timing underscores Ukraine's urgent need for enhanced air defense support.
As Kyiv grieves, residents brace for more nights of fear. The war, now in its third year, shows no signs of abating, and for Ukraine, survival demands both resilience and renewed global backing.
