Russian strike on Kyiv kills two following war's largest attack

Russian Strikes on Kyiv Leave Two Dead and Several Injured

Early on Thursday, Kyiv’s military administration reported that a major wave of Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital resulted in two fatalities and multiple injuries. Loud explosions were heard across the city throughout the night.

Authorities issued warnings about threats from drones and ballistic weapons, urging all residents to seek shelter immediately. According to reports, many civilians took refuge in a central metro station, where they slept on makeshift bedding or waited out the attack.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, stated that falling debris ignited fires in the Solomyansky and Shevchenkivsky districts. In another part of the city, Darnytsky, drone wreckage caused fires at garages and a gas station.

The assault follows a large-scale missile and drone attack by Russia the previous day, which killed at least one civilian and marked one of the heaviest bombardments since the conflict began.

The increasing frequency and intensity of Russian strikes have strained Ukraine’s air defenses and severely affected civilians.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of an Asian foreign ministers' gathering in Kuala Lumpur. This will be their second face-to-face discussion.

Relations between Washington and Moscow remain tense, particularly as US President Donald Trump has grown more critical of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. Following the resumption of some US arms shipments to Ukraine, Trump accused Putin of making empty promises about pursuing peace.

Trump has also suggested endorsing legislation that would impose severe sanctions on Russia, including sharply increased tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy exports.

In response to Trump’s remarks, the Kremlin stated it was untroubled by the criticism and remained committed to improving strained ties with the US.

Separately, Trump’s representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conference in Rome. Officials in Kyiv described their discussion as productive.