The Ukraine War Gets Worse: Russian forces unleashed an enormous drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Thursday morning.
At least 30 people were killed, and over 100 were wounded in Kyiv, local authorities said, in what the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, called the most massive Russian attack on the capital during more than four years of air assault on Ukraine.
Exercise Artemis Strike is a German-led tactical live fire exercise with live Patriot and Stinger missiles at the NATO Missile Firing Installation in Chania, Greece from Oct. 31-Nov. 09. Over 200 U.S. soldiers and approximately 650 German airmen will be participating in the realistic training within a combined construct, exercise the rigors associated with force projection and educate operators on their air missile defense systems. The 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command will deploy, operate and fire live missiles within a tactical scenario, under Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe operational readiness evaluation criteria.
German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1 fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) during Artemis Strike Nov. 7 in Chania, Greece. Artemis Strike is a German-led multinational air defense exercise. German soldiers Over 200 U.S. soldiers and approximately 650 German airmen will be participating in the realistic training within a combined construct, exercise the rigors associated with force projection and educate operators on their air missile defense systems. (Photo By Officer Candidate Sebastian Apel, Air Defence Missile Group 24)
Russia used nearly 500 drones and more than 70 missiles in the attack on Kyiv and other parts of the country.
Loud explosions shook the capital for several hours as waves of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles came towards it and Ukraine’s air defense attempted to shoot them down.
However, 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones made it through and struck 33 locations.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned Ukrainian civilians that Russia was planning a major attack, which Moscow claimed its forces hit what it called military plants in retaliation against attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.
“I am asking all our people to be extra careful, take care of yourselves and your children, and use shelters; this is very important,” the president said.
Putin’s Attacks On Kyiv’s Civilians Painted As Military Targets
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia would “continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals.” Russian targets were far from “military plants.”
“Damage has been reported at more than 20 sites across the city, most of them ordinary residential buildings,” Zelenskyy said. “There was also damage to an ambulance station, a research institute, a hotel, and businesses.”
All areas of Kyiv were hit hard in the attack. ABC News reported that the worst-hit area was the Darnytskyi district, where part of a nine-floor apartment building collapsed, leaving people trapped inside, Klitschko said.
ABC added that in the Holosiivskyi district, the roof of a multi-story residential building was on fire, according to Klitschko. In the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, a fire broke out on the roof of a hotel.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chair of Ukraine’s parliament, accused Moscow of using missiles and drones to deliberately continue its targeting of civilians, which turned “an ordinary night in the capital of a European state into a struggle for survival.”
“This crime, like every one before it, must be met not only with condemnation, but with a resolute response: stronger air defense for Ukraine, tougher sanctions against Russia, and inevitable accountability for everyone responsible,” he said.
UN Estimates Up To 40,000 Civilian Casualties In Ukraine
Since the war started in early 2014, Russia has targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure (apartment buildings, hospitals, small neighborhoods), trying to terrorize and break the will of the people.
In one of the most brazen attacks against civilians last night, an 11-hour drone and missile strike across Kyiv killed at least 30 civilians and injured nearly 100 others, severely damaging apartment blocks and an ambulance station.
Since the full-scale invasion, the UN estimates between 15,000 and 40,000 civilian casualties, with targeted bombings consistently destroying residential areas, energy grids, and medical facilities.
Human rights organizations and the UN continue to document these actions as violations of international humanitarian law.
Ukraine’s civilian casualties have skyrocketed by more than 31 percent in 2025.
Zelenskyy Pleads For More Air Defense Missiles From The West
After returning from a trip to Dublin to survey the damage caused by the attack on Thursday morning, President Zelensky said that if Ukraine had the missiles promised by the Western allies, the damage would not have been as severe.
“We are fighting alone. The victims are only Ukrainians. All we ask from our partners is that they do what they agreed to,” he said.
Despite this latest Russian attack, Ukraine remains steadfast in its insistence that it will continue to put pressure on Russia inside Crimea, where they hope to one day retake the Russian-annexed peninsula.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
