Ukraine says 14 killed in Kyiv following 'massive' overnight attack by Russia
State Emergency Service says 117 injured due to overnight attack on Ukraine's capital, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called 'one of the most horrific'
The damaged car is being pulled away by emergency services at the site of the Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 17, 2025.
ISTANBUL
Ukraine on Tuesday said that at least 14 people were killed in the capital Kyiv following an overnight attack by Russia on multiple regions of the war-torn country.
"As of 7.50 pm (1650GMT) in the Solomianskyi district, the body of one deceased person was uncovered from under the rubble of a nine-story building ... In total, 14 people died and 117 were injured in Kyiv," said a statement by Ukraine's State Emergency Service on Telegram.
Initial reports by Ukrainian authorities said that 15 people had died due to the attack, though Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko later revised this number to 10, noting that "operational information is often subject to correction."
In this regard, Klymenko said on Telegram that body parts found during ongoing search and rescue efforts can be recorded initially as belonging to multiple dead.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted earlier that a US citizen is among those killed, which was later confirmed by the US State Department in a briefing. Klitschko also declared June 18 as a day of mourning in Kyiv.
Commenting on the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was subject to "one of the most horrific attacks," expressing that the Kyiv region surrounding the capital, as well as the Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv regions, were targeted.
Zelenskyy defined such attacks as "pure terrorism" in a statement on X, calling on the US and Europe to respond.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin does this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on. It is wrong when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it. We are in contact with all partners at every possible level to ensure an appropriate response," he added.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry claimed that the attack was ordered by Putin to "make the leaders of the Group of Seven appear weak."
"He (Putin) is deliberately demonstrating his complete disregard for international peace efforts, especially those of the United States," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force claimed that the country's air defenses shot down 239 out of 440 drones, as well as intercepted 26 out of 32 missiles of various types launched by Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry later claimed that it successfully struck Ukrainian "military-industrial complex facilities" in the Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions during a group strike overnight.
