Russia has launched one of its largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in recent months, firing more than 600 drones and over 70 missiles in a massive overnight assault. The attacks struck Kyiv, Dnipro and several other regions, leaving at least 13 people dead and dozens injured, including children. Residential buildings were damaged, fires erupted across multiple districts and emergency crews rushed to rescue those trapped beneath rubble. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for additional Western air defence support, while Russia says the strikes were retaliation for previous Ukrainian attacks.

Russia has issued a chilling warning to foreign nationals, diplomats and international staff in Kyiv, urging them to leave the Ukrainian capital immediately as Moscow threatens a new wave of “systematic strikes” targeting command centres, military hubs and drone production facilities. The Russian Foreign Ministry said strikes would continue across Kyiv and warned civilians to stay away from government and military buildings. Reports also suggest Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the safety of embassy staff in the city. Ukraine reacted furiously to the warning, calling it “shameless blackmail” and accusing Moscow of trying to intimidate the diplomatic community. The threat comes just after one of the biggest Russian assaults on Kyiv in recent months, during which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 90 missiles and 600 drones.