Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it the most powerful strike on the capital since the war began and declared Friday a day of mourning. Ukraine's State Emergency Service said search and rescue operations were continuing at the site of the attack, with nearly 500 people involved in the response. Earlier tolls had put the number of dead at 13, with 86 injured.
Klitschko said a multi-story residential building had partially collapsed, cutting off the escape route for residents on upper floors. He said Kyiv was attacked with drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, with 28 targets hit across every district of the city on both banks of the Dnipro River. A multi-story hotel in the city center also caught fire.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes as war crimes and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of targeting civilians because Moscow cannot achieve results on the battlefield.
"Do not delay decisions on air defense for Ukraine! This is our main appeal to partners after the night of horror that Kyiv has lived through", Sybiha wrote on X, adding that rescue teams were still working and the death toll could rise further.
Sybiha called for concrete action from the international community rather than statements of condemnation, urging partners to speed up decisions on providing Ukraine with air defense systems and missiles, tougher sanctions on Russia, and increased support for the country's energy sector. "Decisions on transferring air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine are needed now, not later!" Sybiha added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had warned that Russian forces were preparing another massive strike, was on a visit to Ireland when the attack occurred and said he was returning immediately to Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, Polish Radio