Night of Terror: Russian Drone and Missile Barrage Kills Nine, Injures Over 70 in Kyiv

April 24, 2025 Ashish Rana

At midnight, war-torn Kyiv—a city battered for nearly four years—was suddenly woken to the thunderous explosion of bombs as Russian drones and missiles bombed residential areas, killing at least nine individuals and injuring over 70, with six children. The attack, which Ukrainian authorities called one of the most devastating on the capital in months, left apartment complexes in smoldering ruins and families buried under rubble. The Sviatoshynskyi district, a residential area west of the center of Kyiv, suffered the worst of the bloodshed, with a multi-story apartment complex destroyed in a strike that highlighted Russia’s relentless campaign to target civilian infrastructure. While rescue teams rushed to pull survivors to safety, the attack reopened international outrage and exposed the human cost of an indefinite war.

The Attack: Chaos Under Cover of Darkness

The attack was launched early Thursday, when Russian forces unleashed a “combined assault” of Iranian Shahed drones and cruise missiles. Sirens wailed through Kyiv, but for some, the alarms came too late. Residents said they were jolted from sleep by deafening booms, their apartments shaking as fire consumed buildings nearby. In Sviatoshynskyi, a nine-story apartment building was hit directly and had parts of it collapse to a skeleton, burying dozens under the rubble.

“It felt like the sky was falling,” said Olena Kovalenko, who was rescued with minor injuries. The walls were cracking, the glass was shattering, and then there was smoke and screams.” Six children were among the injured, reported local authorities, including one girl, 10, who was extracted from the debris after hours of agonizing rescue work. The State Emergency Service, in a series of posts on Telegram, highlighted that search efforts were ongoing throughout the morning, with firefighters fighting fire and paramedics sorting out the wounded in field hospitals.

A Pattern of Terror: Civilian Areas in the Crosshairs

Thursday’s strike fits a dark pattern of Russian attacks designed to demoralize Ukrainian civilians. Moscow has repeatedly attacked apartment buildings, hospitals, and power plants since the invasion started in 2022, contravening international laws of war. The Sviatoshynskyi district is populated by families, retirees, and young professionals—something that highlights the attack’s intended cruelty.

This is terrorism, not war,” declared Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who hastened to the site to arrange for relief. “They want to shatter our will by making each home, each school, and each child a target.” Ukrainian air defenses shot down multiple drones and missiles, but sheer numbers of the barrage overpowered systems, enabling some to get past the city’s defenses. The assault followed just days after a fatal bombing of Kyiv, which marked Moscow’s move to ramp up psychological warfare as Ukraine waits for crucial Western military assistance.

The Human Toll: Stories of Loss and Resilience

Among those killed was 58-year-old retired teacher Mykola Hryhorovych, who resided on the sixth floor of the collapsed apartment building. He was a quiet man who watered his balcony garden and spent time at a nearby shelter as a volunteer. His body was retrieved several hours after the attack. A young mother and her infant son were left alive just nearby, taking cover in a bathtub as their apartment fell around them.

In Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, physicians operated diligently to nurse hurt children, others with devastating burns and wounds caused by shrapnel. “We have witnessed too many such nights,” observed Dr. Mariya Zelenska, a surgeon dealing with pediatrics. “They are kids who should have been in classrooms instead of living through this sort of thing for a missile.” As social media overwhelmed with an offer of aid, citizens offered blood donation, opened up homes to sheltering displaced households, and disseminated resources on counseling for trauma.

Global Condemnation and Calls for Accountability

The global community responded quickly, but unevenly. U.S. President Joe Biden called the attack “a horrific reminder of Putin’s brutality,” vowing to hasten shipments of air defense systems. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was in agreement, promising to “stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.” But responses from non-Western countries were lukewarm. China’s Foreign Ministry made a standard call for “de-escalation,” and South Africa—still in the spotlight for its relationship with Russia—urged “dialogue” but refused to place blame.

The assault has further fueled calls for war crime probes. The International Criminal Court (ICC), which recently issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin in 2023, reaffirmed its determination to try the perpetrators of heinous crimes. However, with Russia denying the ICC jurisdiction, the quest for justice for victims is still a mirage.

Ukraine’s Plea: “We Need Weapons, Not Sympathy”

In the wake, Ukrainian officials made renewed calls for sophisticated air defense systems, such as U.S.-produced Patriots and German IRIS-T systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who toured survivors at a Kyiv hospital, emphasized that Western delays in aid directly empower Russian aggression. “Each missile that strikes our cities is a result of the world’s indecision,” he declared in a televised speech. “We need these systems yesterday.”

The attack also served to underline Ukraine’s desperate requirement for F-16 fighter jets, which would be able to interfere with Russian air operations. Although the Netherlands and Denmark have committed planes, training delays mean they won’t be combat-ready until 2025. Meanwhile, Ukraine must make do with Soviet-era technology and ingenuity, like repurposing retired air defense systems to defend against changing threats.

The Bigger Picture: A War of Attrition

What Comes Next?

The urgent task is clearing debris, patching up the injured, and restoring minimal services. Long term, however, Ukraine’s survival depends on consistent international assistance. The U.S. Congress remains stalled over a $60 billion aid package, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán still vetoes EU financing. Unless it acts quickly, Kyiv will lose the capability to defend its skies—a prospect that may give rise to subsequent nights like Thursday’s.

For the international community, the attack is a moral test. As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba put it, “This is not just about Ukraine. It’s about whether the world will allow dictators to rewrite borders with blood.”

Defiance in the Face of Darkness

Thursday’s assault on Kyiv is a microcosm of this conflict: random violence countered by unyielding bravery. At dawn, when the smoldering remains of Sviatoshynskyi lay before them, volunteers placed candles at an impromptu memorial, their flames burning defiantly against the gray sky. “Light always overcomes darkness,” a note left near a child’s stuffed animal read.

For Ukraine, the future is filled with suffering and doubt. But in the words of President Zelenskyy, “Our spirit cannot be broken—not by missiles, not by drones, not by terror.” The world needs to choose whether it will respond with action to that spirit.

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