Children among six killed in Kyiv after Russian missile and drone attack

A large overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and surrounding districts, killing at least six civilians, including two children, and injuring dozens more, Ukrainian officials said.

Explosions and falling debris ripped through residential blocks and critical infrastructure late Tuesday into Wednesday, igniting fires and triggering emergency rescues as air defenses engaged incoming targets.

Authorities reported multiple ballistic and cruise missiles in the wave, alongside swarms of attack drones.

Kyiv’s mayor said impacts and debris caused damage across several city districts, while regional officials confirmed additional fatalities outside the capital. The attack also knocked out power in parts of the city and other regions as crews worked through the morning to restore electricity and clear rubble.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes and renewed appeals for stronger air defenses. Local rescue services said the dead included a woman and her two daughters, and that among the wounded were children. Residential buildings, vehicles, and neighborhood utilities sustained heavy damage; firefighters battled blazes and searched collapsed structures for survivors.

The assault came as diplomatic momentum to end the war faltered following the shelving of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian officials warned that Russia is intensifying attacks on cities and energy sites ahead of winter, and urged partners to expedite air-defense interceptors and repairs to the grid.

Ukrainian forces said they intercepted many incoming weapons, but that even successful shoot-downs still sent shrapnel and wreckage into populated areas.

Investigators have opened criminal cases into the strikes, which Kyiv denounced as deliberate attacks on civilians. By midday, emergency teams had stabilized most fires, continued door-to-door checks in damaged high-rises, and cautioned residents to heed shelter alerts amid the risk of further waves.

Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, France 24, Kyiv Independent