By VASILISA STEPANENKO and SAMYA KULLAB, Related Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia attacked Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones, killing not less than 9 individuals and injuring greater than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since final July and simply as peace efforts are coming to a head.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned after the assault he’s reducing quick his official journey to South Africa and returning house as town reeled from the bombardment that saved residents on edge for about 11 hours. It seemed to be Russia’s greatest assault on Kyiv in 9 months, and Zelenskyy branded it as “one in all (Russia’s) most outrageous.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko introduced that Friday could be an official day of mourning day within the capital.
The Ukrainian air power mentioned Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, 4 plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and 4 different areas of Ukraine. Rescue employees with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed properties because the blue lights of emergency autos lit up the darkish metropolis streets.
The assault got here as weeks of peace negotiations seemed to be culminating with out an settlement in sight and hours after U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging the “killing area” by refusing to give up the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as a part of a attainable deal.
Zelenskyy says way forward for negotiations will depend on Moscow
Zelenskyy has repeated many instances through the greater than three-year battle that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a crimson line for his nation. He famous Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days in the past, as a primary step to a negotiated peace, however that Russia’s assaults had continued.
He mentioned in South Africa that the newest assault meant the way forward for negotiations “will depend on Russia’s intention as a result of it’s in Moscow the place they should decide.”
Whereas talks have been occurring in latest weeks, Russia has hit town of Sumy, killing greater than 30 civilians gathered to rejoice Palm Sunday, battered Odesa with drones and blasted Zaporizhzhia with highly effective glide bombs.
The European Union’s international coverage chief, Kaja Kallas, mentioned the assault underscored that the principle impediment to ending the battle is Russia.
“Whereas claiming to hunt peace, Russia launched a lethal airstrike on Kyiv,” she wrote on social media. “This isn’t a pursuit of peace, it’s a mockery of it.”
Senior U.S. officers have warned that the Trump administration may quickly quit its efforts to cease the battle if the 2 sides don’t compromise.
Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned the assault confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin is decided to press his greater military’s benefit on the roughly 620-mile entrance line, the place it at the moment holds the momentum.
“Putin demonstrates by means of his actions, not phrases, that he doesn’t respect any peace efforts and solely needs to proceed the battle,” Sybiha mentioned on X. “Weak spot and concessions won’t cease his terror and aggression. Solely power and strain will.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal famous that since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Russian assaults haves killed some 13,000 civilians, together with 618 kids.
Kyiv residents spent the night time in shelters
Not less than 42 individuals had been hospitalized following the assault on residential suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service mentioned.
At a Kyiv residential constructing that was virtually solely destroyed, emergency employees eliminated rubble with their palms, rescuing a trapped girl who emerged from the wreckage coated in white mud and moaning in ache.
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A lady sits in a college basement getting used as a shelter after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Picture/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A lady sits in a college basement getting used as a shelter after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Picture/Evgeniy Maloletka)
An aged girl sat towards a brick wall, face smeared with blood, her eyes fastened to the bottom in shock as medics tended to her wounds.
Fires had been reported in a number of residential buildings mentioned Tymur Tkachenko, the top of town army administration.
The assault, which started round 1 a.m., hit not less than 5 neighborhoods in Kyiv.
Oksana Bilozir, a scholar, suffered a head damage within the assault. With blood seeping from her bandaged head, she mentioned that she heard a loud explosion after the air alarm blared and started to seize her issues to flee to a shelter when one other blast precipitated her house’s partitions to crumble and the lights to go off.
“I actually don’t even know the way this may all finish, it’s very scary,” mentioned Bilozir, referring to the battle towards Russia’s invasion. “I solely imagine that if we are able to cease them on the battlefield, then that’s it. No diplomacy works right here.”
The assault saved many individuals awake all night time lengthy as a number of loud explosions reverberated across the metropolis and flashes of sunshine punctuated the sky. Households gathered in public air raid shelters, a few of them bringing their pet cat and canine.
Zelenskyy getting back from South Africa
Zelenskyy mentioned in a Telegram submit that he would fly again to Kyiv after assembly with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Ukrainian chief had hoped to recruit additional South African help in efforts to finish his nation’s battle with Russia, now in its fourth 12 months.
The U.N. Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs mentioned the Kyiv assault was “one more appalling violation of worldwide humanitarian legislation.”
“Civilians must not ever be targets. This mindless use of power should cease,” it mentioned in an announcement.
Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, a mom of two, was sheltering in a basement after a number of blasts broken her house. Her household was sleeping when the primary explosion shattered their home windows and despatched kitchen home equipment flying within the air. Shards of glass rained down on them as they rushed to take cowl within the hall.
“After that we got here to the shelter as a result of it was scary and harmful at house,” she mentioned.
In Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, the assault flattened a two-story residential constructing and closely broken close by multi-story buildings. Rescue work continued by means of the morning.
At a close-by school-turned-relief middle, kids helped dad and mom cowl blown-out home windows with plastic whereas others queued for presidency compensation. Many stood in blood-stained garments, nonetheless shaken.
Related Press journalist Michelle Gumede in Pretoria, South Africa contributed to this report.
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