At least seven people have been killed following a large-scale Russian drone and missile assault on Kyiv and nearby Bila Tserkva, Ukrainian authorities confirmed on Monday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said six people died in Kyiv, while one additional fatality was recorded in Bila Tserkva, just outside the capital. The overnight barrage included 352 unmanned aerial vehicles and 16 missiles, some of which he claimed were provided to Russia by Iran and North Korea.
“Everyone in countries neighbouring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives if this coalition of murderers persists and continues spreading their terror,” Zelensky warned.
The strikes devastated a multi-storey residential building in central Kyiv, where emergency services were seen evacuating residents and clearing rubble. Zelensky said five homes were damaged in the attack and rescue efforts were ongoing.
The bombardment comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war. No new talks have been scheduled since the last meeting between Kyiv and Moscow nearly three weeks ago.
President Zelensky announced he would be visiting the United Kingdom to discuss defence strategies and sanctions with Ukraine’s international partners ahead of this week’s NATO summit in The Hague. He is expected to participate on the sidelines of the summit, though efforts are being made to avoid any direct confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump’s return to office has shifted the West’s posture toward the war, with the U.S. now taking a more reserved stance in support of Ukraine, while signalling openness to closer engagement with Moscow.
Following the attack, Kyiv residents were seen sheltering in basements, checking their phones for updates as drones buzzed overhead and explosions echoed across the city.
General Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, reiterated that Ukrainian forces will intensify counter-strikes against Russian military positions.
“We will not just sit in defence because this brings nothing and eventually leads to the fact that we still retreat, lose people, and lose territories,” Syrsky said, adding that targeted Ukrainian strikes on Russian military assets have proven effective.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed it shot down 23 Ukrainian drones over its eastern regions overnight. Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has conducted retaliatory operations deep into Russian territory, targeting infrastructure and military installations.
Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine’s territory and claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions since its 2022 invasion, in addition to Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
Kyiv continues to accuse Moscow of sabotaging peace efforts in a bid to prolong the war and expand territorial control.
