Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Assault on Kyiv, Killing at Least 18

Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, firing 74 missiles and 476 drones in one of the war's biggest aerial attacks. Ukrainian authorities said at least 18 people were killed and more than 30 others injured as residential buildings, a hotel, a market, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The attack came after weeks of intensified Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, targeting fuel facilities, military installations, and occupied Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive strike."

According to Ukraine's Air Force, 25 missiles and 12 drones penetrated the country's air defenses. Officials said rescue teams were still searching through the rubble of collapsed apartment buildings, raising fears that the death toll could increase.

Russia's Defense Ministry described the strikes as retaliation for Ukraine's recent attacks inside Russian territory. Ukraine rejected that justification, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stating that Ukraine has the right under international law to strike legitimate military targets in Russia in self-defense.

The assault drew swift international condemnation. European Union, Germany, Latvia, and Romania called for increased military support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Moscow, while Kyiv renewed its appeal for additional air defense systems, including more Patriot missile interceptors.

The attack underscores the intensifying cycle of escalation as Ukraine expands long-range strikes inside Russia and Moscow responds with increasingly devastating bombardments of Ukrainian cities.