KYIV: Russia carried out one of the largest drone and missile attacks on Kyiv on Friday, killing six people in the capital and two more in southern Ukraine. The strikes targeted energy facilities, apartment buildings, and infrastructure, leaving debris and fires across nine districts of the city.
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A missile also hit Azerbaijan’s embassy in Kyiv, damaging its walls and prompting Baku to lodge a formal protest with Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces deployed 430 drones and 18 missiles, while Kyiv responded with long-range strikes on Russian positions.
In retaliation, Ukraine targeted Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, damaging a refinery. The attack forced Russia to temporarily halt oil exports from the port, affecting 2.2 million barrels per day and pushing international oil prices up by two dollars per barrel. Ukrainian forces also struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage facility in Engels.
City officials in Kyiv confirmed extensive damage to residential and public buildings, including schools, medical facilities, and administrative offices. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as residents tried to evacuate or assist those trapped under rubble.
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Russia’s defence ministry claimed its strikes targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and weapons-production sites in response to Ukrainian attacks. Zelensky called for continued international sanctions and pressure to force Russia to end the war.