Russia’s missile and drone barrage on Kyiv kills 17, EU pledges financial response

A coordinated Russian assault on Kyiv marked by the launch of 24 ballistic missiles, four Zircon/Oniks cruise missiles and roughly 115 drones resulted in 17 civilian fatalities and around 44 injuries, Ukrainian officials reported.

President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted that the targets were largely civilian — warehouses storing construction materials, a brewing company, logistics hubs and a railway station — none of which had any direct link to the conflict. He emphasized that the lack of modern interceptor systems allowed several missiles to reach their targets.

Reacting to the attack, the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, announced that income from frozen Russian assets will be used to provide additional financial assistance to Ukraine, including a fresh €1.4 billion earmarked for defence and reconstruction.