Aditya DidwaniyaA wave of ballistic missiles and drone strikes pounded Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv through the night, killing at least thirteen people, injuring more than a hundred others, and setting entire neighbourhoods ablaze days after President Zelensky had warned the world that Russia was gearing up for exactly this kind of assault.
Ukraine Under Fire As Ballistic Missiles Strike Three Major Cities
Russia launched a ferocious overnight barrage of ballistic missiles and drones on Ukraine on Tuesday tearing through residential areas in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv and leaving at least thirteen people dead. Emergency crews raced through darkened, smoke-filled streets as casualty numbers kept climbing through the early morning hours.
The Ukrainian capital took some of the heaviest blows. Multiple blasts ripped through different parts of Kyiv triggering fires across the city and cutting power in several districts. Residents grabbed blankets and bags and sprinted to shelters as thick plumes of smoke billowed from the city centre.
“Three people have now been confirmed killed in Kyiv,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration, in a post on Telegram. He confirmed Russia used ballistic missiles in Tuesday’s assault.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had already sounded the alarm in real time posting a blunt warning: “Explosions in the city! Air defence forces are working! Stay in shelters!” He added that power had gone out across multiple districts of the capital.
Dnipro Sees Deadliest Toll, Families Left Homeless
The central city of Dnipro bore the worst of the night’s violence. Local governor Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed four people were killed there one of them a 73-year-old woman. The injured count in Dnipro alone climbed to 16 as rescue operations stretched into the morning.
Ganzha shared photographs online that showed the scale of the destruction brick buildings crumbled to rubble, playgrounds reduced to smouldering ash, and entire residential blocks left in ruins. The images painted a grim picture of entire communities shattered in a matter of hours.
Kharkiv Targeted Again Eight Wounded
Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, also came under attack. Eight people sustained injuries in the Slobidsky district during the overnight strikes, according to regional governor Oleg Synegubov. The city which sits close to the Russian border has faced relentless attacks throughout the war.
Attack Comes Days After Zelensky’s Stark Warning
The Russian missile strikes came just days after President Volodymyr Zelensky had publicly warned that Moscow was readying a major new offensive. “We have intelligence information about Russia preparing a new massive strike,” Zelensky said on Friday, urging citizens to heed air raid alerts.
“Please pay attention to air alerts and protect your lives. Our services are working efficiently and are prepared; the Air Force and other defenders of our skies will be on duty 24/7, as always,” he added.
Zelensky has repeatedly pressed Ukraine’s Western allies to speed up the supply of Patriot air defence systems the only weapon capable of knocking down Russian ballistic missiles mid-flight. Last week, he sent personal letters to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress urgently requesting more Patriot batteries as Russian attacks intensified. Those appeals have so far produced little movement, as Washington’s focus has largely shifted toward the conflict in the Middle East.
Ukraine Strikes Back Drone Hits Kursk Region
Meanwhile, Ukraine has not stayed quiet. In retaliation for the relentless Russian bombardments, Ukrainian forces have ramped up their own strikes hitting occupied territories and targets inside Russia itself. A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia’s Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine, according to regional governor Alexander Khinshtein.
The overnight assault marks yet another escalation in a conflict that has already displaced millions and reduced swaths of Ukrainian cities to dust. With peace negotiations effectively frozen and diplomatic efforts stalled since the eruption of the Middle East crisis there is little sign that the missile barrages will let up any time soon.
Akshay Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
Pratik Agrawal