Russia Strikes Kyiv with Missiles and Drones, Hours After Putin-Trump Call
Russian forces launched a massive assault on Ukraine's capital early Sunday morning, deploying missiles and drones across multiple districts of Kyiv. The attack occurred shortly after Ukraine's air force warned that Russia might use the Oreshnik, a hypersonic ballistic missile. Explosions began around 1am after the air force announced the threat through its Telegram channel.
One person was killed and 20 wounded in the bombardment, according to officials. Several residential buildings sustained damage across the city. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram that fires and structural damage affected multiple areas. At least four locations were struck in the Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky, and Podilsky districts. Debris caught fire on the premises of a school in the city center.
Ukrainian authorities said debris from an intercepted missile fell on a religious site, causing a fire at what multiple news sources describe as a historic cathedral. The building is a UNESCO-designated cultural heritage location. While the original article mentions casualties in Kharkiv, the provided source material does not contain information confirming this claim.
The timing of the attack drew international attention due to its proximity to a phone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, though neither government disclosed details of their discussion.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning about the implications of the Oreshnik strikes. He stated that if Russia was permitted to destroy lives using such weapons without international consequences, it would set a precedent for other regimes. "If Russia is allowed to destroy lives on such a scale, then no agreement will restrain other similar hatred-based regimes from aggression and strikes," Zelenskyy said in a social media post. He called for preventive pressure on Moscow rather than reactive responses.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attack on civilian targets, calling it part of Russia's "illegal war of aggression." He stated that the strikes "prolong human suffering and do nothing to change the fact that Russia will lose this war."
This represents the third use of the Oreshnik missile by Russian forces. Putin has claimed the weapon is impossible to intercept due to its reported velocity exceeding ten times the speed of sound. Russia has also deployed the missile to Belarus, which borders both Ukraine and three NATO member states.
The assault underscores the ongoing intensity of Russian military operations targeting Ukrainian urban centers. Ukrainian forces and emergency services worked to respond to fires and assess the full extent of damage across the capital following the coordinated attack.