Russian strikes kill 12 in Kyiv, including six rail workers

At least 12 people were killed and 20 injured in overnight Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding region, according to Ukrainian officials. Six of the casualties were employees of state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia when a depot in Kyiv was hit.

Russia denied the strikes targeted civilians, claiming a “massive” precision strike aimed at Ukraine’s military and energy facilities. One casualty in the Russian western region of Belgorod was also reported following a Ukrainian air assault.

These attacks follow a plea from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. Modi said “Every day spent in war pushes humanity back…” at a security summit in Kyrgyzstan.

Additional impacts were felt in the town of Boryspil, where a residential building was struck, killing four people. The Ukrainian interior minister confirmed an Indian national was among the casualties, aged 26.

Ukraine’s chief administrator for Kyiv, Ivan Vyhivsky, highlighted that nearly 350 rescue workers had been operating through the night, while the Interior Ministry noted that 20 other Ukrainian regions were hit by the same window of attack. A separate drone attack targeted a major Russian Baltic Sea port in Ust‑Luga, igniting a fire that officials said threatened the supply of petroleum products to Moscow.

With these strikes marking the fifth consecutive day of sustained missile and drone assaults, Ukrainian officials warn this strategy appears aimed at exhausting air defences and undermining civilian morale. The war’s toll is continuing to rise, with 12 deaths and further injuries during just one night.

For more context, see our coverage on the impact of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s schools and libraries.