Key Points and Summary – Russia launched one of its “biggest air assaults” since the war began, striking Kyiv overnight with “hundreds” of missiles and drones, killing at least six civilians and injuring dozens.
-The “wicked” attack, which damaged 30 residential buildings and the Azerbaijani embassy, was condemned by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius as showing Russia’s “contempt for humanity.”
T-64 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-The attack comes as Ukraine’s own long-range campaign continues, briefly halting exports at Russia’s Novorossiysk oil port.
-President Zelenskyy called Ukraine’s retaliatory “Long Neptune” missile strikes a “justified answer to Russia’s terror.”
The Ukraine War Goes from Bad to Worse
Russia just launched one of its biggest air assaults on Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began over three years ago. Hundreds of missiles and drones were directed toward Kyiv overnight on Thursday, killing at least six people.
Dozens more were injured, including a pregnant woman and two children.
The Ukrainian capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said most of Kyiv’s districts had been hit, with several buildings being set on fire.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported that some 30 residential buildings in Kyiv suffered damage, and that “Families went to sleep expecting a normal night and instead faced terror from the sky”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assault “wicked” and said it was clearly aimed at causing maximum damage to civilians and Ukraine’s energy network. Debris from an Iskander missile also struck the Azerbaijani embassy in Kyiv.
Following the onslaught, Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius said the strikes showed Russia’s “contempt for humanity,” arguing that Putin is trying to make winter “as unbearable as possible” for Ukrainians.
Brussels also weighed in, with the European Parliament’s president Roberta Metsola warning that the EU “will not allow indifference to creep in” while Russia targets homes and power stations.
It comes the same week as the EU Parliament has vowed to wean itself off Russian energy by 2028.
This came at the same time as Ukraine’s own long-range campaign deep into Russian territory continues to rattle Moscow. According to Reuters, exports from the Black Sea oil port of Novorossiysk were briefly stopped in the wake of a Ukrainian drone attack.
This comes at a time when the majority of Russia’s export revenue is from fossil fuels. Russia also claimed to have neutralized drones aimed toward its Novovoronezh nuclear power plant.
Zelensky announced that Ukraine responded overnight with its “Long Neptune” missiles, adding that these strikes were “a justified answer to Russia’s terror.”
He reiterated his plea that Western allies ought to unfreeze Russian assets to finance his war effort and speed up deliveries of interceptor systems.
Neptune Missile. Image Credit: Government of Ukraine.
Neptune Missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
As the people of Kyiv are once again forced to clear the rubble and attempt to return to some form of normality, the looming question is: when will this end?
The Kremlin’s maximalist land demands, the failure of Washington-brokered talks, and grinding warfare in the Donbas mean there is no clear end in sight yet.
Ukrainians now picking through the remains of their apartments are focused on something much more straightforward — the hope that the next siren will not be followed by a deadly blast.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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