Russia launches ballistic missile attack on Kyiv after Zelensky warns of major overnight assault

Russia launched ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv early Thursday, setting off explosions across the Ukrainian capital just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a large-scale overnight attack and appealed for more Western air defense support.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city was under ballistic missile attack and urged residents to take shelter. Explosions were reported across the capital, while fires broke out at several non-residential sites.

Earlier, Zelensky had warned that Russia was preparing “a massive attack” and urged Ukrainians to follow air raid alerts. He also appealed to the United States and other allies to accelerate deliveries of Patriot air defense missiles, saying Ukraine’s ability to protect civilians depended on their support.

The strikes came shortly after Zelensky’s visit to Washington, where he met US President Donald Trump to seek additional military assistance. Zelensky said Trump agreed to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles under license, with Kyiv also discussing joint production and technology-sharing with US defense companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Trump described the White House meeting as a “great honor” and said the talks had gone very well. Ukraine has repeatedly said it faces a severe shortage of PAC-3 interceptor missiles, which are essential for Patriot systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles.

Hours before the Russian attack, Ukraine said it struck two major Russian oil refineries in the Perm and Ryazan regions, claiming the facilities are critical to Moscow’s military logistics and revenue. Ukrainian officials said the strikes sparked fires at both sites, while Russian authorities confirmed a drone attack in Ryazan that injured six people and caused fires at industrial facilities.

Kyiv also said it targeted a Russian Black Sea Fleet naval base, a radar station in Bryansk, and drone launch sites in occupied eastern Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian commander claimed the military had struck 201 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov over the past three weeks, although the claim could not be independently verified.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 295 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions and occupied Crimea.

Despite the latest escalation, hopes for a negotiated settlement remain slim. The Trump administration has continued diplomatic efforts, with presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner expected to visit Kyiv at a later date, though no schedule has been announced.