At least 12 people were killed and 32 others injured after Russia launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on Kyiv shortly after midnight on Aug. 20, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack continued for more than eight hours, with explosions reported across several parts of the Ukrainian capital. The final air raid alert was lifted at 8:36 a.m. local time after a prolonged barrage that included ballistic missiles and drones.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency crews were continuing to work at multiple attack sites across the city. He also announced that Aug. 21 would be observed as a day of mourning in Kyiv.

The first explosions were reported shortly after midnight, shaking buildings and triggering car alarms across parts of the capital. Residents also reported a strong smell of smoke in central Kyiv.

In the Solomianskyi district, falling debris struck near a five-story residential building, shattering windows and triggering a fire. Another residential building, a nine-story structure, was damaged between the eighth and ninth floors.

A children's hospital in the district was also damaged. Windows were blown out and several cars caught fire on the hospital grounds.

According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, at least 12 attack sites were reported in the Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts. Residential buildings, an educational facility and several warehouses were among the structures damaged.

Klitschko said at least 14 of the injured were hospitalized, while emergency services continued searching damaged areas and dealing with fires caused by the strikes.

Ukraine's Air Force issued repeated warnings during the attack about ballistic missiles approaching Kyiv. Ukrainian officials also reported that Russian Zircon missiles had been launched from Russia's Kursk region toward the capital.

The scale of the attack also prompted neighboring Poland to scramble fighter jets to protect its airspace, according to Poland's Air Force.

The attack extended into the morning, with residents reporting lingering smoke and the sound of jet-powered drones overhead in parts of Kyiv, including the Pechersk district.

In Brovary, a community in Kyiv Oblast near the capital, one man was killed and another injured, according to regional authorities. An industrial facility was also reported damaged.

The latest barrage comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defense systems. The Patriot is among the few systems capable of intercepting ballistic and hypersonic missiles, making it a crucial component of Ukraine's defenses against Russia's increasingly heavy missile attacks.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia has exploited shortages of air-defense interceptors by increasing the number of missiles and drones used in large-scale attacks in recent weeks.

Other Western-supplied systems, including the Franco-Italian SAMP/T, have more limited capabilities against ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian Air Force officials.

Ukraine is also working to develop a domestic anti-ballistic missile system. Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, known for its FP-1 and FP-2 strike drones and Flamingo cruise missiles, has been developing the Freya air-defense system, designed specifically to counter incoming ballistic missiles.

The deadly overnight attack underscores the continuing vulnerability of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to Russia's large-scale missile and drone barrages, while highlighting Ukraine's urgent need for additional air-defense capabilities. (ILKHA)