Ukrainian rescuers led people to safety from burning buildings and structures in the dark. (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP pic)

KYIV : Russian drone and missile attacks in and around Kyiv overnight killed seven people, injured dozens, sparked fires in residential areas and damaged the entrance to a metro station bomb shelter, Ukrainian officials said today.

At least six people were killed in Kyiv’s busy Shevchenkivskyi district where an entire section of a residential high-rise building was destroyed, Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Four children were among 25 people wounded in the attack, he added.

“The Russians’ style is unchanged – to hit where there may be people,” Tkachenko said. “Residential buildings, exits from shelters – this is the Russian style.”

Moscow has stepped up drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks as talks to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, yielded few results.

Both sides deny targeting civilians, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict – the vast majority of them Ukrainian. Russia has not commented on the latest attacks.

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said people could still be under the rubble after the overnight attacks caused damage in six of the city’s 10 districts.

“To be honest, it wasn’t like I got scared. It was more like my life was frozen,” said a 75-year-old local resident who only gave her first name, Liudmyla. “You’re frozen, looking at all of it and thinking about how you will live.”

UK visit

Ukraine’s air force said it downed 339 of 352 drones and 15 of 16 missiles launched by Russia in the attack on four Ukrainian regions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would discuss the country’s defence and additional pressure on Russia to end such strikes during his visit to Britain.

Photos posted by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed rescuers leading people to safety from buildings and structures on fire in the dark.

An entrance to the metro station in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district was also damaged, along with an adjacent bus stop, officials said.

Kyiv’s deep metro stations have been used throughout the war as some of the city’s safest bomb shelters.

Kyiv Polytechnic Institute said the attack damaged its sports complex, several academic buildings and four dormitories.

In the broader Kyiv region that surrounds the Ukrainian capital, a 68-year-old woman was killed and at least eight people were injured, officials said.

Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on Kyiv last week, when hundreds of drones killed 28 people and injured more than 150.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones and missiles killed at least 10 civilians in Ukraine in overnight attacks, local officials said Monday, with seven deaths reported in the capital, Kyiv, where emergency crews raced to search for people believed trapped under a partially collapsed apartment building.

Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Air defenses intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could reach their targets, a statement said.

The strikes came nearly a week after a Russian attack killed 28 people in Kyiv, 23 of them in a residential building that collapsed after a direct missile hit.

Russian forces for several months have been trying to drive deeper into Ukraine as part of a summer push along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, though the Institute for the Study of War said progress has failed to make significant gains.

“Russian forces are largely relying on poorly trained infantry to make gains in the face of Ukraine’s drone-based defense,” the Washington-based think tank said late Sunday.

Russia also has pounded civilian areas with long-range strikes in an apparent attempt to weaken Ukrainian morale.

Ukrainian leader notes role of Iran, North Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary data indicated that Russian forces used North Korean missiles in the Kyiv strike. He called Russia, North Korea and Iran, which has provided drones to Russia, a “coalition of murderers.”

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s defense and new ways to pressure Russia will be the two main topics in his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday. Zelenskyy was set to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of this week’s NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer’s office said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the latest strikes demonstrated Russia’s “unlimited cruelty” by deliberately aiming at civilian targets, and promised more European sanctions on Moscow.

Russian drones hit hospitals, residential areas

Drones and missiles hit residential areas, hospitals and sports infrastructure in numerous districts across Kyiv, emergency services said.

The most severe damage was in Shevchenkivskyi district, where a section of a five-story apartment building collapsed.

Six people were killed in the district, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ten others, including a pregnant woman, were rescued from a nearby high-rise that also sustained heavy damage. Dozens of vehicles were burned or mangled by flying debris.

Oleksii Pozychaniuk, 29, who lives in the building next to the one struck, said he heard the whistle of the rocket approaching and “froze in terror” before feeling the impact.

“Windows burst out, glass was flying everywhere,” he said. “We barely made it downstairs with my child. Everything here was on fire.”

Klitschko said rescue workers were searching for survivors.

The Russian attack also damaged the entrance to the Sviatoshyn subway station in Kyiv, slightly injuring two people, said Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration. He said more than 30 people were injured across the city.

Underground subway stations have served as shelters for those seeking protection from aerial attacks. During almost nightly strikes, stations across Kyiv are often filled with people waiting out the danger.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, a Russian short-range drone attack killed two people and wounded 10 more in the Chernihiv region late Sunday, authorities said. Three children were among the wounded, according to the regional administration head, Viacheslav Chaus.

Another person was killed and eight wounded overnight in the city of Bila Tserkva, around 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of the capital.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 23 Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday.

Ukraine identifies Russians among returned soldiers’ bodies

Ukraine will take at least a year to identify the thousands of soldiers’ bodies repatriated by Russia and figure out whether Moscow has mistakenly included more of its servicemen, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia had included at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Ukraine, describing it as a result of Moscow’s disorganization in carrying out large swaps of wounded POWs and remains.

At least five of the bodies can be proven to be Russian, Klymenko told a press conference, with tests being conducted on others. Journalists were shown uniforms and items including cigarettes belonging to what Ukraine said were the five Russians.

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Associated Press journalists Samya Kullab, Illia Novikov and Oleksandr Babenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russian overnight drone and missile strikes killed at least 10 civilians across Ukraine, including seven in Kyiv, where rescuers searched for survivors beneath the wreckage of a partially collapsed apartment building, local officials said Monday.

Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Air defenses intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could reach their targets, a statement said.

The strikes came nearly a week after a combined Russian attack on Ukraine last Tuesday killed 28 people in Kyiv, 23 of them in a residential building that collapsed after sustaining a direct hit by a missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called that attack one of the biggest bombardments of the war, now in its fourth year.

Russian forces have for several months been trying to drive deeper into Ukraine as part of a renewed summer push along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline, though the Institute for the Study of War said their progress has been limited.

“Russian forces have failed to make significant gains during this period of intensified offensive operations, however, due in part to the fact that Russian forces are largely relying on poorly trained infantry to make gains in the face of Ukraine’s drone-based defense,” the Washington-based think tank said late Sunday.

At the same time, Russia has pounded civilian areas with long-range strikes in an apparent attempt to weaken public morale.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary data indicated that Russian forces used North Korean missiles in the Kyiv strike.

He called Russia, North Korea and Iran, which has provided drones to Russia, a “coalition of murderers” and warned of a potential spread of the “terror” if their alliance continues.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s defense and new ways to pressure Russia will be the two main topics in his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday.

Drones and missiles hit residential areas, hospitals and sports infrastructure in numerous districts across Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, emergency services said. The most severe damage was in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where a section of a five-story apartment building collapsed.

Six people were killed in that district, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ten others, including a pregnant woman, were rescued from a nearby high-rise that also sustained heavy damage in the blast.

More than two dozen people were injured in the Kyiv attack, including four children, according to the city military administration head Tymur Tkachenko.

Dozens of vehicles, some burned out and others mangled by flying debris from the blast, formed a snarl in the courtyard in front of the partly demolished building, which had collapsed down to the second floor.

Onlookers, some wrapped in blankets, watched tearfully as the cleanup operation took place. Dozens of volunteers worked to remove broken glass, downed tree branches and other debris.

Oleksii Pozychaniuk, 29, who lives in the building next to the one struck in the attack, said he heard the whistle of the rocket approaching from inside his apartment and “froze in terror” before feeling the impact.

“Windows burst out, glass was flying everywhere,” he said. “We barely made it downstairs with my child, everything here was on fire. We didn’t see the neighboring building yet because everything was covered in smoke, the cars were smoldering, tires were bursting from the high temperature which was also scary.”

Klitschko told reporters that rescue workers were still searching the collapsed building for survivors.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, a Russian short-range drone attack killed two people and wounded 10 more in the Chernihiv region late Sunday night, authorities said. Three children were among the wounded, according to the regional administration head, Viacheslav Chaus.

Another person was killed and eight were wounded overnight in the city of Bila Tserkva, around 85 kilometers southwest of the capital.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 23 Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday.

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Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight killed at least 10 people, with seven deaths reported in the capital Kyiv, local officials said on Monday.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. The air force said it intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could reach their targets.

Drones and missiles hit residential areas, hospitals and sports infrastructure in several districts across Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, emergency services said.

The most severe damage was in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where a section of a five-story apartment building collapsed, and emergency crews raced to find people believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Six people were killed in that district, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ten others, including a pregnant woman, were rescued from a nearby high-rise that also sustained heavy damage in the blast.

Overall, more than two dozen people were injured in the attacks on Kyiv, including four children, according to the city military administration head Tymur Tkachenko.

Medical workers help a woman in the yard of an apartment building destroyed after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Monday, June 23, 2025. Efrem Lukatsky/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

Another person was reportedly killed and eight wounded overnight in the city of Bila Tserkva, around 85 kilometres southwest of the capital.

And late on Sunday night, a Russian short-range drone attack killed two people and wounded 10 more in the Chernihiv region, authorities said. Three children were among the wounded, according to the regional administration head, Viacheslav Chaus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the latest attacks as “completely cynical” and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

The strikes overnight into Monday come almost a week after a combined Russian attack on Ukraine last Tuesday killed 28 people in Kyiv. Most of the victims died after the residential building they were in collapsed following a direct hit by a missile strike.

Zelenskyy called that attack one of the biggest bombardments of the war, now in its fourth year.

Russian forces have been trying to drive deeper into Ukraine as part of a renewed summer push along the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, and have also pounded civilian areas with long-range strikes in an apparent bid to weaken public morale.

Two rounds of direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to make progress on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the two sides have agreed to hold another round of discussions soon.

KYIV, Ukraine, June 23, (AP): Russian drones and missiles killed at least 10 civilians in Ukraine in nighttime attacks, local officials said Monday, with seven deaths reported in the capital, Kyiv, where emergency crews raced to find people believed trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed apartment building. Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles, Ukraine’s air force said.

Air defenses intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could reach their targets, a statement said. The strikes came nearly a week after a combined Russian attack on Ukraine last Tuesday killed 28 people in Kyiv, 23 of them in a residential building that collapsed after sustaining a direct hit by a missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called that attack one of the biggest bombardments of the war, now in its fourth year.

Russian forces have for several months been trying to drive deeper into Ukraine as part of a renewed summer push along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, though the Institute for the Study of War said their progress has been limited. “Russian forces have failed to make significant gains during this period of intensified offensive operations, however due in part to the fact that Russian forces are largely relying on poorly trained infantry to make gains in the face of Ukraine’s drone-based defense,” the Washington-based think tank said late Sunday.

At the same time, Russia has pounded civilian areas with long-range strikes in an apparent attempt to weaken public morale. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary data indicated that Russian forces used North Korean missiles in the Kyiv strike. He called Russia, North Korea and Iran, which has provided drones to Russia, a “coalition of murderers” and warned of a potential spread of the “terror” if their alliance continues.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s defense and new ways to pressure Russia will be the two main topics in his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday. Drones and missiles hit residential areas, hospitals and sports infrastructure in numerous districts across Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, emergency services said. The most severe damage was in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where a section of a five-story apartment building collapsed.