Kyiv Hit by Massive Russian Missile Attack, Five Dead

Russian missile strikes overnight killed at least five people in Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian authorities said. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) said apartment blocks and warehouses were hit in what it described as a “massive attack” on Thursday.

It said at least 23 people were injured. Emergency crews were searching for people trapped under rubble, with rescuers already pulling one survivor from damaged buildings.

Missile Strikes Hit Kyiv And Nearby Areas

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a children’s hospital in the city had been damaged. He added that windows were broken and that cars were set alight in the area during the overnight strikes. The mayor also said missiles hit an industrial centre in the Solomyanskyi district, south-west Kyiv.

In the Brovary district of the wider Kyiv region, the regional governor, Tymur Tkachenko, said one man was killed and another person was wounded.

Ukrainian regional authorities issued alerts earlier in the night urging residents to take shelter, warning that air defence operations could be under way in the area. Additional missile warnings were later issued, citing information from the Ukrainian air force.

Neighbouring Countries Respond To Drone Incursion

Romania said a drone crossed into its airspace at the northern border with Ukraine, prompting an air alert. The Romanian defence ministry said the unmanned aircraft entered national airspace about 13 kilometres east of the city of Galați in the early hours of Thursday.

It said the drone crashed in an uninhabited area, starting a small fire that was extinguished. The ministry added that no casualties or material damage were reported and that the initial alert had been lifted.

The Polish military also said it had started “defensive air operations” to protect Polish airspace, with Poland sharing part of its south-eastern border with Ukraine.

Power Cuts In Kyiv Region

The strikes disrupted electricity supplies. Kyiv region authorities said the missile attacks cut power to thousands of properties overnight, plunging parts of the area into darkness. Technicians were working to repair damaged sections of the energy grid.

Kyiv has faced near-nightly attacks in recent weeks, with some strikes previously killing dozens of people and injuring many others.

The new wave of attacks follows continued pressure on Moscow to enter peace talks to end the war, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, largely in eastern border regions.

This week, separate attacks on Russia killed at least 16 people, including one child, according to reports earlier.

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20 August 2026