Russian missile barrage kills at least nine in Kyiv as NATO neighbours activate defences
Overnight strikes on the Ukrainian capital have intensified the conflict, prompting defensive responses from Poland and Romania while Moscow reported a concurrent drone attack on its own territory.
A massive Russian missile barrage struck Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 33, local authorities reported. The explosions echoed across the capital throughout the night, marking a significant escalation in the four-and-a-half-year conflict.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the attacks damaged residential areas, warehouses, a medical facility, and an educational institution. He stated that the death toll in the capital had risen to eight, with 33 people wounded. In the broader Kyiv region, Governor Tymur Tkachenko reported that one man was killed and another wounded in the Brovary district, alongside damage to an industrial facility.
Russian authorities claimed the strikes targeted facilities producing drone components, a military depot, and a logistics hub. Ukraine’s air force had issued warnings regarding Russian "Kalibr" missiles detected near the village of Kagarlyk, heading towards the capital.
The incident triggered immediate security responses from neighbouring NATO member states. Poland’s military command announced it had mobilised aircraft and activated air defences to protect its airspace, particularly in areas bordering Ukraine. Romania’s defence ministry reported that radar systems detected aerial targets near the border, leading to the scrambling of two Spanish fighter jets and a Romanian helicopter. A drone entered Romanian airspace near Galati before crashing in an unpopulated area in Tulcea county.
Simultaneously, Russia reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that 250 drones flew towards the capital between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with 28 destroyed in the Moscow region.
This exchange continues a pattern of mutual long-range bombardment, with Kyiv facing near-nightly attacks and Ukraine escalating retaliatory strikes to pressure Moscow into negotiations. The recent escalation follows a previous strike on Wednesday that killed at least three people in Kyiv and a massive drone attack on the Moscow region on 18 August.
