Three people have died and at least 26 others injured in a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say.
Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described strikes, which caused explosions and fires in residential buildings across the city, as “massive”.
Kyiv’s energy infrastructure was also damaged, leaving some buildings in the north-east without heat, he said. Ukraine’s air force reported several other regions across the country were also being targeted.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had downed or intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones that had targeted its industrial facilities and disrupted air travel, according to Reuters news agency.
In Kyiv, residential buildings came under attack “in practically every district”, the head of the city’s military administration Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram.
He issued a warning to take shelter a minute after midnight local time on Friday (22:01 GMT), writing “it’s loud in Kyiv”.
Falling debris and fires have damaged multiple high-rise apartment buildings, a hospital, school and administrative buildings, according to emergency services.
More than 40 people have been rescued, they added, including 14 from a fire in a residential building in Desnayanskyi district where one person died.
Another person was rescued in the building after being pulled from beneath rubble, they said.
Medical teams were deployed to all fires, officials said, while Klitschko said nine people were being treated in hospital with one man in an “extremely serious condition”.
Parts of the Ukrainian capital’s heating network were also damaged in the attack, the mayor noted, adding that the city’s electricity and water supplies may have been disrupted.
Ukraine’s air force warned drones and guided bombs had been targeting several other regions, including Sumy.
The overnight strikes follow the deaths of six people in another Russian offensive less than a week ago that also damaged residential buildings and energy infrastructure.
Russia says its attacks on energy targets, now a familiar part of the war, are aimed at the Ukrainian military.
Those attacks prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for “no exceptions” to Western sanctions on Russian energy – shortly after the US granted Hungary one such exemption.
US President Donald Trump had initially announced the sanctions on Russian oil after saying ceasefire talks with Russian President Vladimir were not progressing.
