Russia's massive overnight attack on Kyiv kills 14, hits 28 Ukrainian sites

Russia launched a prolonged overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. The attack exposed Ukraine's air defence strain and triggered alerts in neighbouring NATO states.Stock photo used for illustrationRussia launched a prolonged overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, killing at least 14 people and wounding about 40, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. Explosions were heard across the capital for hours, with air raid warnings staying in place until after dawn.Kyiv was the main target, but the Ukrainian air force said strikes were recorded at 28 locations across the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a "massive attack" and said Russia "had been preparing (it) for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure".Ukraine said the barrage included ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and fast-flying jet-powered drones, adding to pressure on its air defences. In recent months, Russia has stepped up ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, taking advantage of Ukraine's shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors, the only weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed for more Patriot interceptors, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Ukraine's more than four-year fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.Russia's Defence Ministry said the attack struck a Kyiv industrial site making components for Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles. It also said sites linked to the production and storage of drones, an ammunition depot and a logistics centre were hit. As both sides continued to use drones and missiles while fighting along the 1,250-kilometre front line, Russia also said its air defences shot down 726 Ukrainian drones overnight over several Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. It described it as one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war and said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The strikes on Kyiv also raised concern in neighbouring countries. As the attack unfolded, Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command activated military aviation operations, ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance, while Polish and other NATO military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, according to PAP. Romania's Defence Ministry said an unidentified drone crashed and caught fire in an uninhabited area near the border with Ukraine, and two Spanish F-18 jets on an air policing mission in Romania were scrambled after 2 am local time to monitor a group of "air targets" near the border. Moldova's Defence Ministry also said its airspace was breached by an unauthorised drone.In Kyiv, the overnight strikes hit 12 locations across the Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging residential buildings, a medical facility and an educational institution. Emergency workers pulled people from under the rubble. Larysa Bondaruk, 60, sat on the ground holding her cat, Chanel, after firefighters rescued it. With tears in her eyes, she said her neighbour's grandson had been trapped under the rubble and died, and that her own flat was badly damaged. "A rocket hit the roof. It was incredibly loud. Immediately, debris and doors were blown out. There were columns of smoke, columns of fire, screams, crying and despair," she said. "Two people were killed in our building, but the rescuers responded quickly and professionally. I am grateful to them for that." In Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a nine-storey residential building were destroyed and fires broke out on other floors, while people were also trapped in two residential buildings and a school shelter. The overnight assault left Kyiv bearing the brunt of a large-scale Russian attack that combined several types of weapons, caused deaths and injuries, and prompted military alerts in nearby countries as damage was reported across multiple parts of Ukraine.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 20, 2026 14:54 IST