Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over overnight attacks on Saturday, as Ukrainian authorities reported one death, multiple injuries and extensive damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure in and around Kyiv.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) said Russian strikes damaged residential buildings, a kindergarten and a non-residential structure in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district.
Emergency officials initially reported three injuries in the capital before revising the figure to six. Additional damage was recorded in the Darnytskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko accused Russian forces of launching ballistic missiles against the city’s infrastructure, reporting damage to energy facilities in both the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.
“The energy supply situation in the capital is extremely difficult, which has also affected the operation of the city’s heating and water supply systems. Energy workers and municipal crews are working to restore services for the city’s residents,” Klitschko said.
The mayor also confirmed that Kyiv’s Pivnichnyi Bridge had sustained damage, forcing authorities to suspend traffic while specialists assessed its structural condition.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, reported that one person had been killed in the wider Kyiv region following strikes affecting five districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks extended beyond the capital, with 12 additional regions targeted overnight.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces launched 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles, leaving nine people injured.
Ukraine’s Air Force claimed its defence systems intercepted 149 of the 172 drones and four ballistic missiles, adding that the attacks were primarily directed towards the Kyiv region.
In a statement on X, Zelenskyy urged Washington to strengthen its support for Ukraine as Russian attacks continued to threaten essential services.
“When Russia is trying to plunge Kyiv – a city of millions – and the entire country into a blackout, Ukraine must not be left alone. We are counting on increased bilateral support from the United States,” he said.
He stressed that continued American assistance remained essential to Ukraine’s security and prospects for peace.
Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged carrying out what it described as a “massive” overnight strike on Kyiv.
Moscow claimed its forces had targeted military-industrial facilities, energy infrastructure and transport networks, including the Pivnichnyi Bridge, alleging that these sites were being used to support Ukraine’s armed forces.
The competing accounts came as emergency and municipal crews worked to restore electricity, heating and water supplies to affected residents.