In brief
On a moonless night, Russian forces unleashed 115 drones and 24 ballistic missiles against Kyiv, claiming 21 lives and leaving widespread damage. While many drones were intercepted, Ukraine’s depleted air defenses failed to stop several missiles. An eyewitness, Anastasiia Dudley, described the attack as the "scariest night" of the war, having her home heavily damaged. BBC correspondent Dan Johnson visited the site, documenting the emotional toll on residents and the broader implications for Ukraine’s defense strategy. Follow-up reporting expands on the evolving fight over airspace control in Eastern Europe.
The skies over Kyiv erupted in a deadly ballet of 115 aircraft and 24 missile shells as Russian forces targeted Ukrainian air defence posts. The assault, reported to have occurred on Sunday night, resulted in 21 fatalities and left dozens more wounded.
While Ukraine’s missile‑intercept systems claimed many of the drones, the nation’s air‑defence batteries were so diminished that several missile strikes went through, igniting widespread fires and structural damage across suburban districts.
Anastasiia Dudley, a local resident whose home was struck, described the night as the "scariest" during the war’s current phase. The damage to her dwelling was significant, and she reported seeing the after‑shock of the explosions felt months after the bombardment.
BBC correspondent Dan Johnson visited Dudley’s house to lay out the scale of the destruction and capture the palpable fear that echo through the residents’ voices. The footage and interview are part of a broader investigation into how rapid swarm attacks threaten civilian centers.