Kyiv Endures 'Night of Terror' in Russian Aerial Attack

The State Emergency Service said several high-rise buildings had been struck, among them a 14-story apartment building in the Sviatoshynskyi district where a fire broke out as a result. A five-story residential building in the Solomianskyi suburb was destroyed in part. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said 14 people had been hospitalised and five ambulances that had been responding to the attack were damaged. A healthcare facility was also hit, but no people or medical staff have been reported injured.

Extensive Rescue Operations Underway
More than 450 rescuers, as well as more than 100 pieces of equipment with special equipment, are involved in the search and rescue work. Ukraine's Interior Ministry said a 10-year-old girl was among the injured. "Russia has again transformed the night in Kyiv into a night of terror," the ministry said, denouncing the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that emergency services had rushed to the scene and all forces were being engaged in assisting those affected.

More attacks elsewhere were reported waged in other areas. Two people were also wounded in Ukraine's eastern Poltava region, while two separate artillery attacks earlier Thursday in Donetsk left five people dead and twelve others wounded.

Ukraine Strikes Back Over the Border with Russia
In return, Ukrainian forces are said to have launched drone strikes at military-linked sites within Russia. One of the drones targeted the Azov Optical and Mechanical Plant in Rostov, a state-owned company that manufactures precision parts such as thermal imagers and rangefinders for the Russian military, said Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation.

Russian officials said one woman had died in the Rostov region and two were injured in the Moscow region. One fire at a substation close to the capital is said to have left some 50,000 residents without power. Russia said it had shot down 48 Ukrainian drones overnight.