Russia drone barrage kills 9, injures dozens in Kyiv
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- Russia launched its third consecutive day of large-scale drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, flattening a nine‑story apartment block in Kyiv’s Darnytsia district and killing nine civilians, including a 12‑year‑old girl.
- Andrii Sybiha linked the timing of the attacks to President Donald Trump’s trip to China, saying Trump and Xi Jinping have enough leverage to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
- Ukrainian air defenses intercepted over 93 % of the incoming drones and missiles, shooting down or jamming 693 Russian targets overnight — 41 missiles and 652 drones — while 15 missiles and 23 drones still hit 24 locations.
- President Zelenskyy reported that more than 1,560 drones have been launched since Wednesday, damaging about 180 sites nationwide, including over 50 residential buildings.
- John Healey described the attack as “shocking” and said the United Kingdom has accelerated deliveries of air‑defence systems to Ukraine.
- Hungarian government summoned the Russian ambassador after a drone strike near Hungary’s border with Ukraine, marking a shift in tone under new Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
- Ukrainian energy grid operator Ukrenergo said strikes on power infrastructure left Kyiv and 11 other regions temporarily without electricity.
Why it matters: The strikes inflict civilian deaths and widespread damage, underscoring the war’s human toll and the vulnerability of Kyiv’s infrastructure, while the high interception rate shows Ukraine’s air‑defence resilience; the timing amid a US‑China summit highlights the conflict’s resistance to diplomatic pressure.
