Russian missile and drone barrage on Kyiv kills 30

A massive Russian aerial attack on Kyiv on Thursday killed at least 30 people, marking the deadliest single assault on the Ukrainian capital this year. The strike, which involved a large barrage of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and jet-powered drones, damaged more than 100 residential buildings and left rescue crews searching for survivors in the rubble for a second day.

Ukrainian officials said the attack, which occurred overnight Wednesday into Thursday, was exceptionally lethal due to the weapons used and the targeting of residential areas. Air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat noted the high number of ballistic missiles and the increasing use of fast, jet-powered drones that are difficult to intercept, straining Ukraine's air defenses. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of having no argument left for the war "other than its ballistic missiles." The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strike targeted military-industrial and energy sites in Kyiv, a statement contradicted by the widespread damage to civilian infrastructure.

The assault on Kyiv followed a series of Ukrainian long-range strikes deep inside Russia and occupied Crimea, highlighting the increasingly...