Four killed in Kyiv after Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine

The mayor of Kyiv said a Russian missile and drone attack has killed at least four people and injured 20 others in the capital, amid a wider attack across Ukraine.

Russia targeted at least six regions across the country with 407 drones and 44 missiles in one of its largest coordinated attacks of the three-year war.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said search and rescue operations are under way at several locations in the city.

Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, where falling debris sparked fires across several districts as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming targets, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.

“Our air defence crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another – stay safe,” Mr Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.

Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said the barrage included ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as a mix of strike drones and decoys. Ukrainian forces said they shot down about 30 of the cruise missiles and up to 200 of the drones.

Ukrainian cities have come under regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Authorities reported damage in several districts, and rescue workers are responding at multiple locations. They urged residents to seek shelter.

In Solomyanskyi district, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 16-storey residential building.

Emergency services evacuated three people from the apartment, and rescue operations are ongoing. Another fire broke out in a metal warehouse.

Mr Tkachenko said the metro tracks between two stations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, but no fire or injuries were reported.

In northern Chernihiv region, a Shahed drone exploded near an apartment building, shattering windows and doors, according to regional military administration chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi.

He added that explosions from ballistic missiles were also recorded on the outskirts of the city.

The night-time attack came hours after US President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace, in comments that were a remarkable detour from Mr Trump’s often-stated appeals to stop the three-year war.

The US leader spoke as he met with Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who appealed to him as the “key person in the world” who could halt the bloodshed by pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.