Deadly Russian Drone Strike Hits Kyiv Apartment Block, Killing Four Amid Wave of Attacks

A Russian drone slammed into an apartment block in eastern Kyiv overnight, killing at least four people and causing widespread destruction across the Ukrainian capital. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes as “vile and calculated,” reporting that around 430 drones and 18 missiles targeted the city, damaging dozens of high-rise buildings.

Residents of the Lisovyi district described scenes of devastation. One eyewitness, Vita, told reporters that the drone pierced the building before exploding, collapsing several floors. Kyiv’s fire service confirmed that the blast destroyed multiple levels from the eighth down to the fourth floor. Emergency crews rescued more than 40 people from the rubble, including 14 from a separate fire in a residential building. Nine victims are receiving hospital treatment, with one in critical condition.

The strikes extended beyond Kyiv. A drone attack on a market in Chornomorsk in southern Ukraine killed two civilians. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched overnight strikes on Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, hitting the Sheskharis oil refinery, a container terminal, and an apartment block. Russian officials reported injuries to three crew members and one other man, as fires broke out at the oil depot.

Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned of ongoing danger, noting that residential areas across the city were under attack “in practically every district.” The strikes disrupted energy infrastructure, leaving some buildings without heat. Ukrainian authorities deployed medical teams to all affected sites and urged residents to take immediate shelter.

The wave of attacks comes less than a week after a previous Russian offensive killed six civilians and damaged residential and energy facilities. Russia continues to claim its strikes target Ukrainian military assets, though Kyiv rejects this. President Zelensky has reiterated calls for uncompromising Western sanctions on Russian energy.