A Russian overnight air assault on Ukraine injured at least eight civilians in the capital, Kyiv, including a three-year-old child, Ukrainian authorities said Monday, as the Ukrainian Air Force reported that the town of Starokostyantyniv, home to a key air base, was among the primary targets.
Kyiv’s military administration chief, Tymur Tkachenko, said four of the wounded residents were hospitalized, with one individual in serious condition. The victims were all occupants of a multi-storey apartment building in the capital’s Darnytskyi district, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who confirmed the injuries and damage.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched a massive aerial barrage overnight, firing 324 drones and seven missiles in an attempt to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences. Of those, 15 drones and two missiles struck targets in at least three different locations, though military officials did not provide full details of the impact sites.
A significant portion of the attack focused on Starokostyantyniv, a town in western Ukraine that hosts a strategically important Ukrainian air base. The full extent of the damage there was still being assessed by military officials on Monday morning.
The capital city, along with most of the country, was placed under prolonged air raid alerts throughout the night, forcing residents into shelters for several hours. In response to the incursion, Polish military aircraft were scrambled to monitor and secure Polish airspace amid the heightened regional tensions.
The latest assault adds to a growing pattern of night-time drone and missile strikes that Russia has employed throughout its full-scale invasion, now into its third year. Analysts say the mixed use of drones and missiles is aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian air defense systems by forcing them to respond to numerous simultaneous threats.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not issued a statement on the attack. As is typical, both sides denied targeting civilians. Nevertheless, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the start of the conflict in February 2022, with civilian infrastructure and residential neighborhoods frequently suffering collateral damage.
The incident underscores the persistent threat to urban centers in Ukraine, even those far from the front lines, and highlights the challenges Ukraine faces in defending its skies amid sustained aerial bombardment by Russian forces. Ukrainian officials continue to call for increased international support, particularly advanced air defense systems, to counter these persistent threats.
Written By Rodney Mbua
