A large-scale Russian missile and drone assault struck Ukraine's capital and the surrounding Kyiv Oblast overnight, killing at least 17 people and injuring 44 others, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

The overnight attack, one of the most intense in recent weeks, involved a barrage of ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and attack drones that targeted Kyiv and nearby districts, causing widespread destruction and prompting ongoing search-and-rescue operations.

According to Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS), at least 14 people were killed and 27 others injured in Kyiv Oblast, where emergency crews continued to search damaged buildings for survivors. In the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko initially reported one death and 24 injuries.

Later, President Volodymyr Zelensky updated the nationwide casualty toll, saying that at least 17 people had been killed and 44 injured in the attack, though he did not provide a district-by-district breakdown.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles, four hypersonic missiles, and 115 Shahed-type attack drones during the overnight assault. The military said none of the ballistic missiles were intercepted, underscoring the growing strain on Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

"The main target of the attack was the warehouses of civilian enterprises. There were also strikes on infrastructure and a railway station," Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media.

The Ukrainian president renewed calls for additional Western air defense support, arguing that the shortage of interceptor missiles has left the country increasingly vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks.

"Ballistic interceptors are something that could have saved the lives of those who died today. It is very important that partners realize that delays in their delivery or unwillingness to transfer anti-ballistics leads to such terrible victims and destruction," Zelensky said.

Ukraine has repeatedly warned that it faces a critical shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defense systems—the only systems currently capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials say Russia has intensified its use of ballistic weapons in recent weeks, seeking to exploit those shortages.

Authorities reported extensive destruction across Kyiv and surrounding areas. The State Emergency Service said warehouses, commercial facilities, and vehicles were set ablaze in the Brovary, Bucha, and Fastiv districts of Kyiv Oblast.

Within the capital, damage was recorded at more than seven locations, including the Holosiivskyi, Obolonskyi, Desnianskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi districts, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.

In the Holosiivskyi district, rescue teams pulled two people from beneath the rubble of a collapsed warehouse, while search operations continued amid concerns that additional victims remained trapped.

A missile strike ignited a fire in a 20-story residential building in the Obolonskyi district, where another apartment building and two warehouse facilities also caught fire.

In the Desnianskyi district, a warehouse was engulfed in flames, while missile debris landed near a residential building, Mayor Klitschko said.

Emergency responders also battled a major fire in the Kyiv-Sviatoshynskyi district outside the capital.

Among those injured in Kyiv, 15 people were hospitalized, including four in critical condition, city officials said.

Residents reported hearing the first powerful explosions shortly after 12:20 a.m. local time as multiple ballistic missiles struck Kyiv. Explosions continued for more than an hour while Ukraine's Air Force repeatedly warned that additional ballistic missiles were approaching the capital.

Beginning at 1:09 a.m. local time, authorities also issued alerts for incoming Shahed attack drones as the assault expanded.

The latest bombardment came just days after another large-scale Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Aug. 1 that killed at least nine people and injured more than 30 others, highlighting the continued escalation of Russia's long-range attacks on the Ukrainian capital despite ongoing international efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses. (ILKHA)