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Russia continued its large-scale missile and drone strikes against Ukraine for a second day, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of an assault that has killed at least eight people, including a 13-year-old, and injured 44 in the capital, according to Ukrainian officials. The overnight attacks followed heavy daylight raids with missiles and drones across the country on Wednesday, described as one of the longest single attacks of the war.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from The Guardian paint a picture of sustained attacks and escalating human cost. One morning report cited at least one dead and 40 injured in Kyiv, with hits on civilian infrastructure, while a later update reported at least 24 people, including three children, killed in the previous day's attacks on the capital, citing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The latest figures, as of Thursday morning, put the death toll at eight, with 44 injured in the capital, according to Ukraine's air force and local officials.

The discrepancy in casualty figures likely reflects the evolving nature of the situation as rescue operations continue. President Zelenskyy, after visiting the site of an apartment building damaged in the strikes, said, "The Russians practically demolished an entire section of the building with their missile." He described the attack as one of the deadliest on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale war.

Key Claims

  • Russia has deployed more than 1,500 drones against Ukraine over the last 30 hours, President Zelenskyy said.
  • Ukraine's air force said the latest attack involved 56 missiles of various types and almost 700 drones.
  • Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said 18 apartments were destroyed in the city's Darnytskyi district, with water supply problems reported in left-bank Kyiv. He said 40 people were injured, with 31 requiring hospitalisation.
  • At least 11 people have been rescued from a collapsed apartment block, Klitschko told local media.
  • Russia and Ukraine have reportedly exchanged 205 prisoners of war each, with Zelenskyy describing it as the first part of a broader swap of 1,000 for 1,000.
  • Finland and Latvia both stepped up their air defences overnight after alerts about potential drone incursions, but no incursions were eventually reported.
  • Ukraine reported that Russian drones on Thursday had struck a UN vehicle in the southern city of Kherson.

Perspectives

The scale of the attacks has cast doubt on claims by US President Donald Trump that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine was close, following recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the war might be approaching an end. Zelenskyy responded to the strikes, saying, "These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end. It is important that partners do not remain silent about this strike."

There appears to be little appetite among European leaders to take Putin's claims seriously. Latvia's foreign minister, Baiba Braže, said, "We believe that when we see it in action. For now, even during the so-called ceasefire that he begged for, we have not really seen the cessation of hostilities. So, it's premature to really suggest something like that."

Sweden's foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, acknowledged changing circumstances, saying it's clear Russia is getting weaker. "It's difficult for them to recruit soldiers, and we saw the 'big victory parade' that was a very small victory parade, and there was no military hardware display at all, because the Kremlin was afraid of Ukrainian drones."

Amid the attacks, EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the latest on Ukraine, the Middle East, and the western Balkans. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, hailed "a new feeling of momentum" as he arrived, saying, "We have a new reality on the battlefield. Ukraine became stronger after the most difficult winter. ... We stabilised the front and we are also in the position that we closed the sky ... [can] shoot down up to 90% of aerial objects by which Russians attack us."