Kyiv woke to another night of devastation after a huge Russian barrage tore into the Ukrainian capital, pushing the death toll to at least 30 and hardening vows on both sides to strike again.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces would “definitely” answer the assault, speaking as he visited an apartment block left partially in ruins.
The European Union’s top diplomat, meanwhile, moved to raise pressure on Moscow with a proposal for new sanctions, while Mr Zelensky renewed his appeal to the United States for licences to produce Patriot air-defence missiles.
UN chief Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the Russian attack and reiterated his call for a ceasefire.
At the same time, the Kremlin signalled no change in course, promising to intensify “pressure” on Ukraine and maintaining its hardline refusal to compromise.
Throughout its invasion, Russia has repeatedly unleashed waves of missiles and drones in what has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
AFP journalists in central and eastern Kyiv reported hearing more than a dozen explosions and watching residents hurry into metro stations for cover.
The first blasts rang out late on Wednesday and continued into the early hours of Thursday, as Russian missiles and drones pounded residential districts in the heart of the city.
A woman weeps while holding her child amid the wreckage of damaged homes in Kyiv
Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it the “enemy’s most massive attack on the capital”.
Ukraine’s state emergency service said the strikes had killed 30 people, revising an earlier toll upward after rescuers recovered three more bodies from the rubble.
The head of the city’s military administration Tymur Tkachenko said 91 people were wounded.
The Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross said its main warehouse had been destroyed, wiping out around $2 million worth of humanitarian aid.
Falling debris also struck a building “hosting a number of diplomats”, EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said, adding that the EU diplomats were safe.
In Kryvyi Rig, two people were wounded after a missile hit a densely populated area, according to the head of the central city’s military administration early this morning.
Ukraine responded by urging its allies to deliver more air-defence systems.
“We also very much count on a decision by the United States regarding licences for Patriots,” Mr Zelensky said in a post on Facebook yesterday.
Later, following talks with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, he said: “Defending against ballistic missiles is impossible without a sufficient number of missiles for Patriot systems.”
Thick black smoke rises above Kyiv in the aftermath of the strikes
Ukraine is seeking to produce munitions for the US-made missile interceptor system, though defence experts say establishing domestic production would take time.
A US official said President Donald Trump wanted a peace deal to bring an end to the “senseless killing” in Ukraine.
Russia launched 496 drones and 74 missiles, including ballistic projectiles that are difficult to intercept, Ukraine’s air force said.
It said 48 of the missiles and 476 drones were shot down.
According to the Kyiv metro, about 52,000 people, including 4,500 children, crowded into underground stations to shelter from the barrage — the highest figure seen in recent years.
Others spent the night in basements or hallways as explosions rattled buildings across the capital.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said she would put forward new sanctions on Moscow in response to the attack.
The barrage came just hours after Mr Zelensky cut short a visit to Dublin on Wednesday, citing intelligence reports warning of an impending Russian strike.
Mr Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin “has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now”.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks inside Russia, hitting energy infrastructure and military targets.
Russian officials have reported repeated strikes in border regions, while Moscow has said its air defences intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones in recent days.
