Russia carried out a large-scale aerial assault on Kyiv overnight on Nov. 13–14, striking residential areas across nearly every district of the capital with waves of drones and missiles.

The attack, one of the heaviest in recent weeks, left at least one person dead and more than 25 wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that two additional victims may also have been killed, but rescue workers have been unable to recover the bodies due to ongoing fires and structural damage. Among the injured were two children, ages 7 and 10, as well as a pregnant woman and several people in serious condition. Nine victims have been hospitalized.

The assault began shortly before 1 a.m. local time, with Kyiv Independent reporters documenting multiple explosions across the city. According to officials, at least 11 multi-story residential buildings were hit in the Desnianskyi, Podilskyi, Dniprovskyi, Solomianskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Obolonskyi districts. A fire that broke out on the 5th to 8th floors of a high-rise building in Desnianskyi district killed one resident.

More than 40 people were evacuated from burning or collapsing structures during the assault, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A hospital, a school, and wooden buildings at a sports facility were also damaged in the strikes. Klitschko warned that parts of the district heating network had been heavily impacted, and emergency crews were assessing the extent of outages across the capital.

Power cuts were reported in several districts during the attack. Residents described heavy explosions and prolonged periods of air-defense activity, as Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched well over 100 drones—including numerous decoys—along with multiple cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv and other regions. Air-raid alerts were issued nationwide.

In Kyiv Oblast, six additional people were injured when drones and missiles struck homes, warehouses, industrial sites, and vehicles. A seven-year-old boy suffered facial injuries and received medical treatment, regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.

The assault comes amid a renewed Russian campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of winter. In the past month, Russia has repeatedly launched large-scale attacks aimed at causing widespread power outages. On Nov. 8, Ukrainian cities experienced what officials described as one of the largest direct ballistic missile attacks on energy facilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Those strikes forced cities, including Kyiv, to impose more than 12 hours of emergency power cuts to stabilize the grid.

Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday night’s attack underscored the continued threat to civilian areas and critical infrastructure as Russia intensifies its winter bombardment. Air-defense systems remain on high alert as officials warn of the likelihood of further mass strikes in the coming days. (ILKHA)