I stood on a rooftop in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district as the air raid sirens howled across the pre-dawn skyline. The capital was experiencing what local officials called one of the largest combined drone and missile attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Explosions echoed through residential areas, sending residents scrambling for shelter in subway stations and basements.
“We heard the first blasts around 5 AM,” said Olena Petrenko, 62, clutching her small suitcase of emergency supplies in an underground metro station. “This time felt different—more explosions, coming from all directions.”
Ukrainian air defense forces engaged multiple targets as Russia launched what appeared to be a complex, multi-stage assault. According to Ukraine’s Air Force command, the attack involved a combination of cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers, ballistic missiles, and Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Preliminary reports from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense indicate at least 40 missiles of various types and approximately 35 attack drones were used in the assault.
“The Russians are adapting their tactics,” explained Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, whom I interviewed by phone as air defense systems continued operating across the city. “They’re launching multiple weapon types simultaneously to overwhelm our air defenses and create confusion about which targets to prioritize.”
The timing of the attack—following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s recent visits to European capitals seeking additional air defense systems—appears deliberately calculated. Just last week, Zelensky secured promises from France and Germany for accelerated delivery of air defense equipment, including additional IRIS-T and SAMP/T systems.
Walking through Kyiv’s central district hours after the attack, I encountered emergency crews clearing debris from what appeared to be missile fragments intercepted overhead. A five-story apartment building had sustained damage to its upper floors, with shattered windows and structural damage visible from the street. Red Cross workers were distributing emergency supplies to affected residents.
“This is my fourth evacuation since February 2022,” said Maksym, a 34-year-old IT specialist, as he helped elderly neighbors navigate debris-covered sidewalks. “We’ve gotten grimly efficient at this routine—grab documents, medications, water, and move quickly to shelter.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed via messaging app Telegram that emergency services were responding to impacts in at least three districts. Initial reports indicated five civilians injured, primarily from falling debris and glass. Power outages affected approximately 30% of the city, according to Ukraine’s energy ministry, as substations and distribution networks sustained damage.
Energy infrastructure appears to have been a primary target, continuing Russia’s winter strategy of attacking civilian power systems. “We’re seeing a pattern of targeting dual-use infrastructure that affects both military and civilian populations,” said Maria Avdeeva, a security analyst with the European Expert Association whom I’ve consulted regularly during the conflict. “These attacks serve multiple purposes—degrading defense capabilities while simultaneously pressuring the civilian population.”
The psychological impact of such attacks cannot be overstated. At a downtown cafĂ© that had opened despite the morning’s events, I spoke with Dmytro, a psychologist working with war trauma victims. “Each attack reinforces a state of hypervigilance that takes a cumulative toll,” he explained. “People adapt outwardly, but the nervous system remains in a constant state of alert. We’re seeing increased rates of anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances, and cardiovascular issues even among those not directly affected by strikes.”
International response to the latest attack followed familiar patterns. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv condemned the strikes as “barbaric” in a statement, while the European Union’s High Representative Josep Borrell announced discussions of additional sanctions targeting entities supporting Russia’s drone and missile programs.
The timing also coincides with ongoing debates among Western allies about permitting Ukraine to use donated weapons for strikes on Russian territory from which these attacks originate. “The political constraints on our defensive operations significantly limit our ability to prevent these attacks at their source,” a senior Ukrainian defense official told me, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
For ordinary Kyivans, the tactical and diplomatic complexities matter less than the immediate reality of life under aerial threat. At a damaged playground near one impact site, I watched as municipal workers cleared glass and metal fragments from the sandboxes and swing sets.
“The children will come back here tomorrow,” said Svitlana, a kindergarten teacher surveying the cleanup. “We’ll tell them it’s safe now, and they’ll believe us because they need to. But they also know to run when the sirens start. No child should have to learn that.”
As night fell over Kyiv, emergency crews continued their work under floodlights. The distant thump of air defense systems could still be heard occasionally, a reminder that the threat hadn’t fully passed. Citizens checked their phone alerts and emergency supplies, preparing for whatever might come in the darkness.
What makes these attacks particularly devastating is their predictable unpredictability—they can come at any hour, on any day, turning routine moments into matters of survival. And yet, as I’ve witnessed repeatedly covering this conflict, Ukrainians continue rebuilding after each assault with a resilience that has become their defining characteristic in this war.
