'Most massive' Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 22

Russian forces have launched a large-scale overnight attack on Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing at least 13 people and injuring almost 90. The intense strikes hit residential buildings across the capital in what marks the first major assault in more than two weeks.

The attack affected all ten of Kyiv's districts on both sides of the Dnipro River. Multiple fires broke out across the city, including a blaze destroying a hotel on a central boulevard. Damage was reported at an ambulance station in the city, which left at least one person critically injured. The first to sixth floors of an apartment building collapsed following a direct hit, and people were trapped in a damaged nine-storey residential building whilst the roof of another high-rise building caught fire.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, stated: "The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians." Approximately three dozen locations across the city sustained damage in the overnight strikes.

Overnight tracer fire from air defence systems lit up the sky as explosions from drones, cruise and ballistic missiles were heard throughout the city. Many residents took shelter at metro stations and underground stations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued warnings of the imminent attack.

Zelensky had cut short his visit to Dublin on Wednesday after intelligence suggested Moscow was planning the strike. He said: "Russian President Vladimir Putin has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now." Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, described "another horrific night for the residents of the city who were forced to spend it in shelters."

The Russian defence ministry claimed it targeted military and energy facilities as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civil infrastructure. NATO member Poland scrambled fighter jets as a preventive measure to protect airspace adjacent to threatened regions.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced the city will mark a day of mourning on Friday to commemorate the victims, with flags to be lowered on all municipal buildings.