Death toll rises to 12 as massive air strikes hit Kyiv second night in a row

The military and emergency response teams remain on high alert, as officials brace for the possibility of more attacks.

May 25, 2025 02:00 PM IST

2 min read

Private houses are seen ruined after a Russian drones attack in Kyiv region, Ukraine. (Photo: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

A sweeping overnight Russian drone-and-missile attack killed at 12 people and injured dozens more across capital city Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said early Sunday. This marks the second straight night of intense bombardment over the region amid a major prisoner swap — the biggest since the war began over three years ago.

Loud explosions echoed across Kyiv and its outskirts through the night as Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted incoming drones and missiles. Russia used about 367 drones and missiles, making this the largest single attack since the beginning of the war, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force.

While the number of those injured in the attacks was reported to be at 16 in Kyiv, several homes and businesses were damaged or set ablaze by the falling debris. In Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, a drone hit a student dormitory, setting part of the building on fire, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Three children among dead in Zhytomyr

Firefighters try to put out a fire following the Russian attack in Kyiv. (Photo: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Outside Kyiv, the Zhytomyr region suffered one of the deadliest blows. Emergency services confirmed the deaths of three children — aged 8, 12, and 17 — and said twelve others were injured in the strikes. Additional casualties were reported in the Khmelnytskyi region, though officials did not release further details.

Ukrainian authorities have described the back-to-back assaults as among the most intense aerial attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The military and emergency response teams remain on high alert, as officials brace for the possibility of more attacks.

Largest prisoner swap in three years underway

Despite the violence, Ukraine and Russia have pressed ahead with a major prisoner exchange — the biggest since the war began over three years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that 307 Ukrainians were brought home that day, following Friday’s release of 390 prisoners by each side.

“We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelenskyy wrote on his official Telegram channel.

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Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the swap and expressed readiness to continue, though it provided no specifics on future exchanges.

(With inputs from AP)

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