At Least 8 Killed, 70 Injured As Russia Launches Over 200 Missiles At Ukraine

On April 24, Russia launched its most intense airborne assault on Ukraine in nearly a year, killing at least eight and injuring over 70 in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that the Sviatoshynskyi district suffered the heaviest losses, where two residential buildings were destroyed by a missile strike. Two children remain missing. A total of 12 districts in the capital were targeted, igniting around 40 fires throughout the city.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that missile fragments were recovered at the Sviatoshynskyi strike site, where extensive damage was also reported to civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten and a school.

“Experts have removed the remains of this missile, handed them over to the relevant services, which will conduct an appropriate examination and give the final result of what kind of missile it was, what was the warhead of this missile,” he said.

“And I want to repeat once again that this is a densely populated area. Unfortunately, there are still, with a high degree of probability, the bodies of the dead under the rubble,” Klymenko said.

Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions were also hit in the large-scale assault, with Ukraine’s Air Force reporting that Russia launched a total of 70 missiles and 145 drones. Ukrainian forces managed to intercept over 110 of them, with significant support from U.S.-made F-16s and French Mirage jets defending the country’s airspace.

In response to the attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he would cut short his trip to South Africa. Posting on X, he said he would return to Kyiv immediately after meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, leaving Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to complete the visit on his behalf.

“It is extremely important that everyone around the world sees and understands what is really happening. I instructed the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to immediately contact our partners regarding our requests to strengthen air defenses.

“I will brief President Ramaphosa of South Africa, who currently holds the G20 Presidency, on the situation and our need to intensify global diplomatic efforts. The strikes must be stopped immediately and unconditionally. We also count on support in humanitarian matters — in the return of our prisoners and Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,” said Zelensky.