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Tag: Ukraine casualties

  • Russia Launches One of Biggest Attacks on Kyiv as Death Toll Rises After Massive Drone and Missile Strikes

    Russia Launches One of Biggest Attacks on Kyiv as Death Toll Rises After Massive Drone and Missile Strikes

    Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has suffered one of the deadliest Russian aerial assaults in recent months after Moscow unleashed a massive overnight barrage of drones and missiles across the country, killing at least seven people, including a 12-year-old girl, and injuring dozens more.

    Emergency responders continued pulling bodies from the rubble of a heavily damaged apartment building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district on Thursday as fears grew that more than 20 people could still be trapped beneath the debris. Ukrainian officials said the large-scale attack targeted residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure, leaving widespread destruction across the capital and other regions.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Russia launched more than 670 drones and 56 missiles during the overnight assault, making it one of the largest aerial attacks since the war began in 2022. According to Zelensky, over 180 sites across Ukraine were hit, including more than 50 residential buildings.

    Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that at least 21 people were hospitalized following the strikes, while rescue teams worked around the clock searching for survivors. Ukrainian authorities said more than 1,500 rescuers and police officers were deployed nationwide, with nearly 600 personnel focused on rescue operations in Kyiv alone.

    Several victims were recovered from a collapsed section of a nine-storey apartment block. Police identified two male victims aged 21 and 30, while another woman has yet to be identified. Authorities also confirmed the death of a man who was injured during an attack on a petrol station.

    Residents described terrifying scenes as explosions shook the city overnight. Witnesses said apartment blocks trembled violently while air raid sirens echoed across Kyiv. Some survivors gathered in temporary shelters wrapped in blankets as emergency crews cleared debris and searched for missing residents.

    The attacks also damaged schools, veterinary clinics, water supply systems and other civilian infrastructure. In addition to Kyiv, injuries were reported in the Kyiv region, Kharkiv and Odesa as Russian drones and missiles crossed large parts of Ukrainian airspace.

    The renewed bombardment comes just days after a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States expired earlier this week. Ukraine says Russia resumed heavy attacks immediately after the truce ended, despite earlier suggestions from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the conflict could be nearing an end.

    Zelensky condemned the latest assault and urged Ukraine’s allies to strengthen the country’s air defense systems while maintaining sanctions on Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also called on U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Russia into ending the war during their ongoing summit discussions.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine was also rocked by political controversy after a Kyiv court ordered the pretrial detention of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s former chief of staff, over allegations linked to a multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme involving a luxury construction project near Kyiv. Yermak has denied all accusations and vowed to appeal the ruling.

  • Four Years of War: Ukraine Marks Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion as Fighting and Losses Continue to Mount

    Four Years of War: Ukraine Marks Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion as Fighting and Losses Continue to Mount

    Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukrainians across the country paused to remember the dead from a war that shows no sign of ending.

    As the conflict enters its fifth year, Ukraine’s military continues to resist Russian advances, even as casualties rise on both sides and civilians endure near-daily aerial attacks. Speaking on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ukraine never chose this war. We have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood.”

    The Kremlin admitted that its original objectives had not been achieved and signalled it would continue the campaign. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow’s claim that Western support for Ukraine had turned the conflict into a confrontation between Russia and the West.

    Russia now controls just under 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, but Ukrainian forces have prevented it from seizing the entire Donbas region in the east.

    At 10:00 a.m., a minute’s silence brought Kyiv to a standstill. In Maidan Square, rows of flags commemorating the fallen stood as people lowered their heads in quiet reflection. At St Sophia’s Cathedral, Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska led a prayer service alongside visiting European leaders, including Finland’s Alexander Stubb, Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    In Bucha, the town that became a symbol of atrocities in the early weeks of the invasion, residents laid flowers on the graves of soldiers. “The war has taken too many lives,” said Valentyn, visiting fallen comrades. “No one thought it would last this long.”

    In a video address filmed inside underground corridors of the presidential palace, Zelensky reflected on the early days of the invasion when many believed Kyiv would fall within days. “Ukraine exists not just on the map,” he said. “We have defended our independence and our statehood.”

    A virtual meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, led by Britain and France, brought together about 35 countries willing to help guarantee any future ceasefire. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was wrong to think Russia held the upper hand, noting that Moscow had taken only a small fraction of Ukrainian land over the past year at enormous cost in lives.

    French President Emmanuel Macron expressed scepticism about peace in the short term, saying there was no genuine willingness from Russia to secure a lasting settlement.

    Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service accused Britain and France of helping Ukraine pursue a nuclear or “dirty bomb,” a claim dismissed by Downing Street as a distraction with no basis in fact. President Vladimir Putin did not directly address the war in a speech to security officials but echoed accusations against Western powers.

    Despite several rounds of US-brokered talks, progress toward peace remains limited. Moscow’s demand that Ukraine surrender territory in the east is widely rejected in Kyiv.

    A statement from G7 leaders, including US President Donald Trump, reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to exist. It marked the group’s first joint declaration on Ukraine since Trump’s re-election.

    Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine needs more US interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defence systems, warning that recent Russian strikes have depleted supplies and left cities and energy infrastructure vulnerable during winter.

    Casualty figures continue to rise. The BBC has identified more than 186,000 Russian soldiers killed, though the true toll is believed to be far higher. The UK Ministry of Defence estimates Russia has suffered around 1.25 million casualties overall. Zelensky has said 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have officially been killed, while other estimates suggest the number could approach 200,000.

    Across Ukraine, military cemeteries continue to expand, standing as stark reminders of the human cost of a war that has reshaped the country and the wider world.