At least 12 people have been killed and 40 injured in a series of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure.
President Zelenskyy noted that there is destruction in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in the Odesa and Chernihiv regions. He warned that such strikes do not always receive the necessary global response and that Russia will not seriously consider peace without sufficient anti-ballistic defence for Ukraine. He also pledged with allies to send more Patriot interceptors to help protect Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 18 people have been hospitalised following the overnight attacks, with emergency and clean-up efforts ongoing across three districts. Residential and non-residential buildings, a school, and a children's hospital were damaged. Klitschko has declared Friday a day of mourning in Kyiv in response to the attacks.