The overnight barrage hit five areas of Ukraine’s capital, damaging homes and triggering fires as Kyiv renews calls for stronger air defences

Russian strikes kill 9 in Kyiv and wound 28 people, including four children, after a barrage of attacks hit five areas of Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, damaging residential buildings, vehicles and other property and triggering fires across the city.

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The latest attack underscores the intensifying aerial war between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow continuing to launch long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities while Kyiv presses its international allies for additional air defence systems.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said nine people were killed and 28 others injured in the Kyiv attack. Authorities also said 105 people were rescued from affected areas.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents to remain in shelters as the attack unfolded.

“Explosions in the city. Kyiv is under ballistic missile attack. Stay in shelters!” Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

AFP journalists reported hearing more than 10 explosions in quick succession, setting off car alarms across the capital.

The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out a “massive strike” in the Kyiv region, claiming that the targets included military-industrial enterprises and logistics centres.

In the Darnytsky district, seven people were killed and 14 others wounded, according to local authorities. Several buildings and vehicles were also damaged.

Two more people were killed and eight wounded in the Solomiansky district, where a five-storey residential building was damaged by the strikes.

For residents caught in the attack, the destruction brought renewed fear and uncertainty.

“Everything was smashed, the windows, everything,” 75-year-old resident Kateryna Kravchenko told AFP.

“I can barely stand. I don’t know how I’m going to get through all this.”

Another resident, 46-year-old Oksana, said the damage had convinced her to leave the area.

“You can’t stay here after something like this,” she said. “What guarantee is there that it won’t happen again?”

Images released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service showed firefighters battling flames at what appeared to be a residential building, while rescue workers searched through rubble with flashlights.

The deadly attack came amid a broader escalation in strikes between the two countries.

While Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities, Ukraine has increased its retaliatory drone strikes against targets inside Russia, partly in an effort to pressure Moscow towards negotiations.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday that its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 274 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Russian online retail company Wildberries also said its logistics facility in Volgograd caught fire following an overnight attack.

Kyiv has accused the company of storing drone components and assisting the Russian military, allegations the company has not publicly confirmed in the information provided.

The latest violence has also renewed attention on Ukraine’s urgent need for stronger air defences.

The United Nations has said June was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, reflecting the devastating human cost of the prolonged conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met US President Donald Trump for talks, after which Zelensky said Trump had agreed to license the production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine.

Trump later said Washington would have to be “very careful” about granting such a licence.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the latest attacks demonstrated the urgent need for additional defensive capabilities.

“It is the battle for the skies that will define the trajectory of this war. The stronger the air shield over Ukraine, the closer peace becomes,” Sybiha said.

As the conflict approaches its fifth year, the latest attack on Kyiv illustrates the continuing vulnerability of civilians despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.