Russian air strikes kill 12 in Kyiv on sixth consecutive day of attacks

For the sixth day running, Russian missiles and drones descended on Kyiv before dawn on Tuesday, killing twelve people across the capital and surrounding region. The strikes hit residential neighborhoods, railway facilities, and infrastructure across multiple sites, leaving fires burning in different parts of the city as emergency services worked through the morning.

Eight of the dead were in Kyiv proper. Six others—railway workers—were killed when ballistic missiles struck a depot and related rail facilities operated by Ukrzaliznytsia, the state rail company. In the suburb of Boryspil, four people died and thirteen more were wounded when Russian fire hit a residential building and nearby locations. An Indian citizen was among those killed, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. Thousands of families in the Odesa region lost power entirely.

Russia has been intensifying its air campaign as its ground offensive has stalled. The drones now being deployed are a newer generation, powered by jet engines rather than conventional propulsion, which makes them substantially harder for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept. Over the past five days, swarms of these weapons have plagued the city and surrounding areas, killing residents, destroying homes and warehouses, and forcing millions into hours-long air-raid alerts that have become the rhythm of daily life.

Ukraine's air force managed to shoot down five ballistic missiles during the overnight barrage, which included what Zelensky described as a "significant number" of jet-powered drones alongside the missiles. But the toll of the relentless campaign is visible in the strain on Ukraine's defenses. The country is running critically low on Patriot interceptors—the American-made missiles capable of stopping Russia's ballistic weapons. Kyiv recently received a small batch, but the supply remains far below what military planners say is needed to sustain the defense of the capital.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha used the attack to press Ukraine's allies for more support. He called for increased economic pressure on Russia, including renewed discussions about seizing Russia's frozen assets abroad and redirecting that money to fund Ukraine's war effort. He also demanded more air defense systems. "It is time to signal to the Kremlin that imitating diplomacy does not work anymore," Sybiha said, signaling frustration with what he views as performative peace gestures from Moscow.

The strikes extended beyond Kyiv. Russian fire targeted a border crossing with NATO-member Romania in the Black Sea region of Odesa, where ports have come under repeated attack. Those assaults have crippled Ukraine's agricultural exports—a vital source of revenue and a factor in global food prices. Russia's defense ministry claimed it had struck military and energy facilities in both Kyiv and Odesa, as well as surrounding regions.

Ukraine has escalated its own strikes into Russian territory, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to degrade Moscow's capacity to sustain the war. Local governors reported a fire at the port of Ust-Luga, a major export terminal in the northwest, and damage to civilian facilities in the Samara region, which sits roughly 800 kilometers southeast of Moscow and houses several major oil refineries. One civilian was killed in an attack on Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

Meanwhile, peace negotiations remain stalled. Ukraine has refused Russian demands to surrender territory, and Washington has become increasingly focused on its conflict with Iran. Yet there are signs of diplomatic movement. Zelensky said Monday he had held a "detailed and constructive" call with envoys from President Donald Trump's team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and that both sides were working to finalize dates for a visit to Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin that the war needed to end for humanity's sake. The Kremlin leader responded that Moscow was "moving forward along this path"—language that remains opaque about what Moscow actually intends.