Russia-Ukraine war: 1 killed, 16 wounded as major overnight Moscow's ballistic missile attack hits Kyiv

Russia launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks of the war on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight, killing at least one person and injuring 16 others, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

The assault triggered a series of heavy explosions across the city, with Ukraine’s air force stating that 41 missiles of different types were used in the strike, according to Reuters. Several areas were damaged, with fires breaking out across multiple locations.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said residential buildings, warehouses, a supermarket, and a dormitory were among the sites affected, adding that three injured people were in serious condition.

In a separate attack on Sunday, a strike on a postal depot near the northeastern city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, killed four people and left 19 others injured, the regional governor said.

At a site in western Kyiv, emergency responders searched through burning wreckage and worked to extinguish fires in damaged apartment buildings.

Near the city centre, the strikes damaged a metro station that has been repeatedly targeted in previous attacks and destroyed a nearby underground pedestrian passage, leaving debris scattered across the area.

Russian forces also hit a rehabilitation centre in the neighbouring Sumy region, acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. The interior ministry reported that one person was killed in a guided-bomb strike in the regional capital.

'Kyiv will flourish'

A resident who identified himself as Vlad told Reuters that he was inside his apartment when an explosion ripped off his balcony door, which struck him on the head.

"My grandmother lives with me, and she can't walk. How could I run away and leave her behind?" he mentioned.

Fruit vendors returned to their makeshift stalls as normal while an excavator cleared rubble into a dump truck nearby, reflecting the city's efforts to recover despite the damage.

"Kyiv will flourish," said 68-year-old Iryna Lomeyko, expressing confidence in the resilience of a neighbourhood that has repeatedly come under Russian attack.

She mentioned, "Those idiots destroy everything, but we'll repair it and build anew. Everything will be alright."

Ukraine's military said it intercepted 18 missiles during Sunday's attack, which was primarily directed at Kyiv. It also reported shooting down 108 of the 125 drones launched in the assault.

Later on Sunday, cleanup operations continued around the damaged Kyiv metro station and the collapsed underground pedestrian passage, as workers removed debris while residents passed by the area with little visible reaction.

'Protection against ballistic missiles is our top priority': Zelensky

Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and the United States had reached a political agreement on licences to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, expressing hope that production could begin by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, as Russia intensifies its attacks in the fifth year of the full-scale war, Ukraine is increasing pressure on its international partners to speed up the delivery of anti-ballistic defence systems.

"Protection against ballistic missiles is our constant and top priority right now," Zelensky said on X on Sunday. "Interceptors are needed every day."

(With inputs from agency)