‘Apocalyptic’ Damage Reported In Kyiv After Russia Unleashes Advanced Hypersonic Missile

Kyiv Rocked By Massive Russian Missile Assault Amid Hypersonic Weapon Claims

Kyiv witnessed widespread destruction overnight after Russia launched one of its heaviest aerial assaults of the war, days after Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation over Ukrainian strikes in Russian-controlled territories.

Videos circulating online captured dramatic moments of the attack, including footage appearing to show a cruise missile striking central Kyiv. A bright flash lit up the night sky before a massive explosion ripped through the area.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia fired nearly 600 drones and around 90 missiles in the coordinated assault. While Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted many incoming targets, several missiles and drones penetrated the shield and struck civilian areas across the capital and other regions.

One of the worst-hit locations was near the Lukianivska metro station, where a business centre and a local market were completely destroyed. Ukrainian outlet Euromaidan Press reported that a small café in the area — rebuilt and reopened six times after previous Russian strikes — was again reduced to rubble.

The overnight bombardment killed at least four people and injured dozens more, according to local authorities. Homes, schools, markets and commercial buildings suffered extensive damage across Kyiv and multiple regions, including Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy and Zhytomyr.

As explosions echoed across the capital throughout the night, residents rushed into metro stations and underground shelters seeking safety.

Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians rather than military infrastructure. Posting on X, he described the bombardment as one of the largest “terror attacks” carried out against Ukraine in recent months.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia also deployed the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile during the attack. The weapon, capable of travelling at speeds reportedly exceeding ten times the speed of sound, is designed to destroy hardened underground facilities several floors below the surface.

The Oreshnik missile was first reportedly used by Russia against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024 and later in the Lviv region earlier this year.

Zelenskyy said the latest assault primarily targeted civilian infrastructure, including schools, water facilities and markets, and accused Moscow of escalating attacks against ordinary Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the use of Oreshnik and other missile systems but claimed the strikes were aimed at Ukrainian military command centres, air bases and defence-industrial facilities. Moscow described the attack as retaliation for Ukrainian operations in Russian-controlled areas.