Kyiv faced a terrifying night as relentless Russian attacks battered the Ukrainian capital for over seven hours.
From late evening until early morning, missiles and drones rained down, lighting up the sky with explosions and fires.
The assault stretched on until 5:10 a.m., leaving much of the city on edge and residents shaken.
Russia’s Intensified Strikes and Military Claims
The attacks weren’t limited to Kyiv. Russian forces also targeted military facilities in the Dnipro and Poltava regions.
Reports say Moscow deployed an unprecedented number of expensive Iskander-M missiles—some costing around £2 million each—alongside North Korean-style KN-23 ballistic missiles.
Ukraine’s armed forces confirmed they faced strikes by 14 such ballistic missiles and about 250 drones during the night.
Fortunately, roughly half of the drones and six missiles were successfully intercepted, but the onslaught still caused injuries and damage.
Impact on Civilians and Infrastructure
In Kyiv and nearby areas, at least ten people were reported wounded due to the intense bombardment.
Explosions rocked the city regularly, roughly every five to ten minutes, turning what should have been a quiet night into a nightmare for many.
Some reports from Moscow claimed Ukrainian drone manufacturing sites near the Antonov aircraft plant were hit by Russian strikes, although the Ukrainian media highlighted the massive impact on civilians and infrastructure.
Continued Violence Despite Peace Talks
Even as talks of peace hovered in the background, violence showed no signs of slowing down.
In the Kharkiv region, Russian attacks claimed the lives of four Ukrainians—including elderly citizens and a young woman—and injured several more.
Kyiv’s military chief, Timur Tkachenko, described the situation as “one of the largest combined attacks on the capital,” pointing out that the enemy is constantly adapting their tactics by combining drone and ballistic missile strikes.
Retaliation and Strategic Targets
The recent Russian bombardment came in apparent retaliation for over a thousand Ukrainian drones launched against Russian cities in recent days, which disrupted airports and key facilities.
Ukraine, on its part, struck back hard, hitting a major Russian chemical plant in Novomoskovsk that produces materials critical to explosives.
They also targeted the Energia plant in Yelets, which supplies power sources for Russian drones and missiles, including nuclear-capable ones.
Moscow’s Ambitions and Historical Claims
Adding a political dimension to the military aggression, Russian MP and war hawk Lieutenant-General Viktor Sobolev declared that Putin’s goal is to unite Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus into a single state.
He framed this as restoring the “Russian world” within what he claimed were its “natural borders,” citing historical figures as part of this narrative—a claim fiercely rejected by Ukraine.
Hopes for Peace Amid Ongoing Conflict
The relentless attacks unfolded just hours after a significant prisoner exchange took place between Russia and Ukraine.
Around 1,000 prisoners were swapped as a potential step toward easing tensions.
US President Donald Trump hinted that this could be a precursor to “something big” in the region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the “first stage” of the prisoner exchange was completed, with 390 people returned on both sides.
However, it remains unclear if the recent violence will affect plans for further exchanges scheduled to conclude by the weekend.
Diplomatic Talks Stall Without Breakthrough
The prisoner swap came after peace talks held in Turkey, which Vladimir Putin notably did not attend.
While this marked the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since the 2022 invasion, the two-hour meeting failed to produce any major diplomatic breakthrough, leaving the conflict far from resolved.