Kiev hit by missiles and drones in reported retaliatory strike (VIDEOS)
The first strikes were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital's air defenses engaged incoming targets.
More explosions were heard between 2:00am and 3:00am, with the head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, confirming that 'a fire broke out on the roof of a non-residential building.'
Ukrainian officials claimed at least one person was killed and another hospitalized as of 5:00 am, after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered fires at a residential building and near the entrance to the Lukyanovskaya metro station.
🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. pic.twitter.com/yCkueqHWYM
Multiple blurred videos shared on Ukrainian social media appear to show the aftermath of the strikes, though the exact locations and types of facilities hit remain difficult to verify due to strict censorship by Ukrainian authorities.
🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. pic.twitter.com/yCkueqHWYM
Ukrainian media and officials did not specify the targets, vaguely describing them as a supermarket, a warehouse, and an uninhabited cottage complex.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident. Moscow routinely carries out drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, insisting that its operations do not target civilians and accusing Kiev of placing air defense systems in densely populated areas.
Kiev has significantly increased long-range UAV raids targeting Moscow over the past week, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting multiple waves of drone interceptions each day. In response, the Russian military carried out a series of strikes on Saturday targeting Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in drone and missile production.
Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul in recent months, but negotiations stalled in June after Kiev dismissed Moscow's proposals. Ukrainian officials later declared the process 'exhausted,' saying they had participated primarily to avoid appearing dismissive of US President Donald Trump's diplomatic initiative.
After Moscow accused Kiev of stalling and urged Trump to apply pressure, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday that the 'pace of negotiations must be increased,' and offered to hold a new round of talks in Istanbul – just hours before launching another overnight drone raid on the Russian capital.
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