Russia Hits Kyiv With 1,500 Drones and 50 Missiles, Levels Apartment Building

Entire residential buildings collapsed in Ukraine's capital as Russia unleashed a massive and virtually nonstop aerial barrage on Kyiv and other major cities over the last two nights, Ukrainian officials said. They reported more than 1,500 drones and over 50 missiles launched in the last two days.

At least seven people died in Kyiv, many in a strike that leveled an apartment building overnight. Another 20 remain missing, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He met with top staff Thursday to discuss a massive and virtually nonstop Russian attack that lasted nearly 48 hours.

"This is a deliberate terrorist tactic by the Russians, who amassed drones and missiles over a period of time and intentionally calculated the strike so that its scale would be significant, creating the greatest possible difficulties for our air defense," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He said attackers struck 20 locations in the capital, including a residential building, a school and a veterinary clinic.

Zelenskyy noted that forces intercepted 94% of the drones but only 73% of the missiles. He called for improvements in that area.

Other cities targeted over the last two days included Odesa, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of stockpiling the weapons to time the attack with President Trump's visit to China. "It certainly cannot be called a coincidence that one of the longest massive Russian attacks against Ukraine takes place precisely at the time when the President of the United States arrived for a visit to China — a visit from which much is expected," he said.

The Ukrainian president added, "In this difficult geopolitical moment, Russia is clearly trying to disrupt the overall political atmosphere and draw attention to its evil — seeking to do so at the expense of Ukrainian lives and Ukrainian infrastructure."

Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded questions from reporters Saturday after a Victory Day parade. He said he thought the war may be nearing its close after more than four years. "I think the matter is coming to an end, but it's still a serious matter," he told reporters in remarks translated from Russian.

Mr. Trump responded to Putin's comments as he left for China on Tuesday. "The end of the war in Ukraine, I really think it's getting close," he told reporters on the White House's South Lawn.

Zelenskyy said Putin's actions do not show he believes the war is ending. "Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days," he wrote Tuesday, referring to a pause in fighting for Victory Day, a celebration of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. "Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire."

Zelenskyy met leaders of several European countries Wednesday as part of a summit in Bucharest. Those included Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Romanian President Nicușor Dan, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. They discussed steps toward ending the war.