Russia pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving at least 13 fatalities and sparking fresh calls from Kyiv for renewed U.S. military aid.
It was one of Moscow’s single biggest attacks in recent months.
The BBC reports dozens were left injured, including several children, after the overnight air strikes hit apartment blocks, with emergency crews racing to find people feared trapped beneath rubble in Kyiv.
Local residents walk near a damaged car dealership following massive Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv on June 2, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian missile and drone barrages rocked parts of Ukrainein the latest attacks in a war that sees no signs of ending. (Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP via Getty Images)
The death and casualty toll is expected to rise throughout Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed Russia had launched 656 strike drones and 73 missiles of various types – ballistic, cruise, and anti-ship – in the overnight barrage before calling on the U.S. for help.
A man carries a dog in his arms among rubbles outside a multi-storey residential building which was damaged following Russian massed missile and drone strikes on Kyiv on June 2, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman PILIPEY / AFP via Getty Images)
“We urgently need help from the United States in supplying missiles for Patriot systems”, the Ukrainian president said, referring to interception hardware used to intercept Russian missiles and which have been in short supply.
The BBC report outlined some of the aftermath from Russia’s attack on local residents:
Large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the centre of the capital on Tuesday, where the head of its military administration warned ballistic missiles had been fired and the city’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters.
The buzz of drones could be heard between more than a dozen loud explosions as strikes made impact through the early morning.
The attack caused fires near a petrol station, a construction site, and several apartment blocks, as well as two houses, Klitschko said. Blackouts were also been reported across the city.
Russia said it had carried out a huge strike, including with hypersonic missiles, targeting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
It denies its forces target civilians as it continues to press on with its desire to overrun Ukraine.
AFP reports Moscow has bombarded Ukraine almost daily since launching its cross-border incursion in February 2022.
The invasion by Russia now stands as the bloodiest on European soil since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced.