Hundreds of Russian drones flying from all directions attacked Kyiv overnight into Thursday in an apparent new Russian tactic, marking a second consecutive night of ferocious attacks on Ukraine.

At least two people were killed, including a 22-year-old female police officer, and more than a dozen were wounded in the attacks, according to authorities.

CNN staff on the ground in Kyiv witnessed massive, fiery explosions that illuminated the night sky. Smoke filled the air, creating a burning smell and obscuring the visibility in the city center.

Russia has been intensifying its aerial attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, but the assault on Thursday appeared to mark a change in approach from Moscow.

Launching hundreds of drones and missiles, Russia attacked Kyiv from all directions — with some of the drones initially bypassing the capital before abruptly changing direction and speeding back towards the city. This made guarding the capital’s skies even more challenging for the strained Ukrainian air defences.

Many Kyiv residents spent another sleepless night in shelters, listening to the terrifying sounds of explosions and drones flying overhead.

Nadiya Voitsehivkya, 63, told CNN her brother-in-law has been taken to hospital with injuries he sustained when his apartment was struck.

“Everything in it was completely destroyed, and (my sister) escaped in her underwear. She managed to escape, but her husband didn’t make it; he was crushed by a slab. The ambulance took him away,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“We don’t know where to turn: I don’t know who can help us. Everything there is burned down; there is nothing left of that apartment.”

Nadiya Voitsehivkya’s brother in law was injured in the Russian attack on Kyiv on Thursday. She said he was taken to the hospital with cuts and broken ribs after getting crushed by debris. CNN

The attack lasted more than 10 hours, with Russia launching 400 drones and 18 missiles, including eight ballistic missiles, at Ukraine according to a telegram post from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

As terrifying as the night was for Kyiv’s residents, these massive aerial attacks have become the new normal for Ukrainian civilians.

Just on Wednesday, Russia conducted its largest drone assault since the start of its full-scale invasion, launching 728 drones and 13 missiles in strikes that killed at least one person, according to Ukrainian officials.

“This is an obvious build-up of terror by Russia,” Zelensky said on Thursday, adding that he would be talking to allies about more funding for interceptor drone and air defenses.

Residents stand outside of their damaged house in Kyiv, following a Russian strike on Thursday. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Police officers examine debris on a street in Kyiv. Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images

The damage from the latest offensive attacks appeared to be substantial.

Houses, residential buildings, cars, warehouse facilities, offices and other buildings across the city were damaged and caught fire, according to city authorities. A health care clinic was almost completely destroyed in the strikes, Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Russia has significantly scaled up its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, launching near-nightly assaults involving hundreds of drones and missiles.

Work towards a peace deal has simultaneously slowed down, triggering frustration in the White House, where US President Trump on Tuesday took aim at Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin.

“We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said in a Cabinet meeting. “He’s very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

Russia’s sustained assault in recent days has injected new urgency into questions surrounding Washington’s commitment to defending Ukraine, as the Trump administration pledged to send additional defensive weaponry to Kyiv in an apparent policy reversion.

A fire burns at a residential building in Kyiv. Efrem Lukatsky/AP

People sleep on the platform of a metro station in Kyiv, as they take cover during a Russian attack on Thursday. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Moscow downplayed Trump’s harsh words in a press briefing Wednesday. A Kremlin spokesperson said it is reacting “calmly” to Trump’s criticism of Putin. “Trump in general tends to use a fairly tough style and expressions,” Dmitry Peskov said, adding Moscow hopes to continue dialogue with Washington.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia on Thursday.

Following Wednesday’s record drone attack, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said there had been “so many attempts to achieve peace and cease fire, but Russia rejects everything.”

International law violations

Thursday’s attack on Kyiv follows a landmark ruling by Europe’s top human rights court Wednesday, which found that Russia committed major international law violations in Ukraine.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on four cases concerning Russian military operations in Ukraine since 2022, as well as the conflict in eastern Ukraine which began in 2014 and includes the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

It found that Russia had committed a pattern of human rights violations in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The ECHR also ruled Russia was responsible for the downing of flight MH17 in 2014. Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility for MH17’s destruction, which killed 298 people.