Russian strikes kill eight in Kyiv as drone breaches Romanian airspace
Overnight missile attacks target residential and industrial sites in the capital, while neighbouring states activate defensive protocols.
Russian missile strikes killed at least eight people and injured 33 in Kyiv and the surrounding region on Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine described the overnight operation as a "massive attack" that targeted apartment blocks and warehouses, causing significant structural damage and power outages across the capital.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a children's hospital was damaged, with windows broken and nearby vehicles set alight. An industrial centre in the Solomyanskyi district, located in south-west Kyiv, was also hit by missiles. In the Brovary district, regional governor Tymur Tkachenko confirmed that one man was killed and another wounded in the attacks.
Emergency crews are currently working to rescue individuals trapped beneath the rubble of demolished buildings, having already pulled two survivors from the debris. The strikes cut power to thousands of properties, leaving parts of the Kyiv region in darkness as technicians attempt to repair the damaged energy grids.
The conflict has extended to neighbouring countries, with Romania reporting that a drone entered its national airspace approximately 13 kilometres east of the city of Galați. The Romanian defence ministry stated the drone crashed into an uninhabited area, causing a small fire that was extinguished without casualties or material damage. Poland also initiated "defensive air operations" to protect its airspace, sharing a border with Ukraine in the south-east.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that more than a dozen regions have been targeted across Ukraine in the past week. Russian forces launched over 1,550 attack drones, 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles during this period. This follows a previous strike on Wednesday that killed at least three people and wounded 20 in Kyiv.
The escalation occurs as Ukraine has stepped up attacks deep inside Russia, including a recent deployment of 600 drones targeting Moscow. Two separate attacks on Russia this week have killed at least 16 people, including one child. Ukraine's defence ministry stated that seven out of 10 of the largest Wildberries logistics centres have been "disabled" since July.
