At least nine people were killed and 33 injured in a large-scale overnight Russian missile and drone assault on the Kyiv region, according to Ukrainian officials. Residential buildings, hospitals, university dormitories, and key infrastructure were hit in what has become one of the deadliest attacks on the capital in recent months.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed the toll in a social media statement, while Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said six of the victims died in a high-rise apartment building.

Drones and Missiles Rain Down

Ukraine’s air force said the attack involved a total of 352 drones and 16 missiles aimed primarily at Kyiv, intended to overwhelm air defenses.

“I woke up in the rubble,” said Valeriy Mankuta, a 33-year-old resident who survived the strike. “There were bricks on me, something in my mouth. It was total hell,” he told Reuters.

Another survivor, Natalia Marshavska, recounted the moment a drone exploded above her apartment: “The blast threw me across the room. Smoke was everywhere. It was horrible,” she told AFP.

Civilian Infrastructure Targeted

Among the buildings damaged was a metro station frequently used as a bomb shelter, as well as university classrooms. Ukraine’s emergency services shared videos of stunned civilians being evacuated from burning structures.

In the nearby city of Bila Tserkva, a hospital was also hit by a drone, killing one person. Further south, a strike on the Odesa region left two dead and a dozen wounded. Zelensky said a school was nearly destroyed there, stressing, “None of these Russian strikes are accidental—the Russian army knows exactly where it is targeting.”

Ukrainian Military Vows Response

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky signaled a shift toward more proactive military action: “We will not just sit in defense. This brings nothing and eventually leads to loss of lives and territory.”

This strike follows a deadly Russian attack on Tuesday that left 28 dead and over 100 injured, compounding the capital’s anguish.

Talks Stalled as Zelensky Seeks Support Abroad

As diplomatic channels remain frozen—no new peace talks are scheduled—Zelensky travels to London to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, seeking continued military aid. A planned meeting with Donald Trump at last week’s G7 summit was canceled due to Trump's early departure amid the growing Middle East crisis. The Ukrainian president is also expected to attend a NATO dinner in the Netherlands on Tuesday.