KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces faced a relentless overnight bombardment as Russian missiles and drones targeted the capital in a severe assault that rattled structures throughout the downtown area, striking near government facilities, homes, and educational institutions.
Local officials reported at least 10 wounded individuals based on initial counts. Warning sirens wailed throughout the evening hours while smoke clouds drifted over the city following the strikes. News correspondents on the ground documented thunderous blasts occurring close to the downtown core and government facilities.
The bombardment continued into Sunday morning, with additional missiles and drones anticipated to strike the capital.
Destruction was documented throughout no fewer than nine districts of the capital, including residential structures, according to Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko in a Telegram post.
Within Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, an educational facility sustained damage during the assault while civilians took shelter inside, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. City officials confirmed that grocery stores and storage facilities throughout the area also suffered damage.
Numerous neighborhoods experienced destruction across the broader Kyiv region, regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported.
Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that Russia intended to deploy the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, based on intelligence from the U.S. and Western partners. Ukraine’s Air Force subsequently issued warnings about a potential Oreshnik launch.
Officials could not immediately confirm whether this missile system was deployed during the nighttime assault.
Russian forces initially deployed the multiple-warhead Oreshnik against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. The weapon was employed for a second time in January targeting the western Lviv region.
President Vladimir Putin described the Oreshnik, which translates to “hazelnut tree” in Russian, as traveling at 10 times sound speed, or Mach 10, with the capability to demolish underground bunkers “three, four or more floors down.”
The weapon moves “like a meteorite” and cannot be stopped by any missile defense system, Putin claimed, stating that multiple such missiles, even equipped with conventional warheads, could match the destruction of a nuclear attack.
