Local authorities said Russian missile and drone strikes in Ukraine overnight killed at least 15 people and wounded 156 others while they were in their homes.
At least 14 people were killed in explosions that continued in the Ukrainian capital for nearly nine hours, according to a statement from the head of the Kyiv city military administration, Timur Tkachenko.
The bombing resulted in the destruction of a nine-story residential building, destroying dozens of apartments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had fired more than 440 drones and 32 missiles into Ukrainian territory, describing the attack on Kyiv as “one of the most devastating strikes” on the capital.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported 139 casualties in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared Wednesday an official day of mourning.
It was one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv in months, coming after two rounds of direct peace talks failed to make any progress in ending the war, now in its fourth year.
Russia has repeatedly struck civilian areas in Ukraine using missiles and drones. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Russia says its strikes are aimed solely at military targets.
Russia has stepped up its air attacks in recent months. On June 10, it launched nearly 500 drones into Ukraine in the largest nighttime drone bombing of the war. On April 24, Russia also shelled Kyiv, killing at least 12 people in the deadliest attack on the capital in eight months.
The increase in long-range strikes coincided with Russia's summer offensive along the eastern and northeastern sections of the 620-mile front line, where Ukraine is short-handed and in need of greater military support from its Western partners.
Uncertainty over US policy on the war has heightened doubts about what support Kyiv can count on.
Mr Zelensky had been due to meet US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday to ask for more help, but the White House said Mr Trump would return to Washington early on Monday as tensions in the Middle East worsened.
Mr Zelensky is seeking to avoid excluding Ukraine from international diplomacy amid rising tensions in the Middle East and ongoing concerns over US trade tariffs.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
