A wave of overnight Russian missile strikes has killed at least eight people in the capital Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian authorities say.
Apartment blocks and warehouses were targeted in the “massive attack” on Thursday, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS). At least least 33 people were injured in the strikes.
Authorities are scrambling to rescue anyone trapped underneath the rubble of demolished buildings, with crews already pulling two survivors from debris.
Meanwhile, Romania said one drone crossed into its territory at the northern border with Ukraine triggering an air alert siren.
In the early hours of Thursday, “a drone entered Romanian national airspace, approximately 13 kilometres east of the city of Galați,” the Romanian defence ministry wrote in a statement.
The drone crashed into “an uninhabited area”, causing a small fire that was extinguished.
“No casualties or material damage were reported”, the ministry added, noting that the initial alert had been lifted.
The Polish military also said it had begun “defensive air operations” to protect its airspace, with the country sharing part of its south-eastern border with Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a children’s hospital had been damaged in the overnight strikes, where windows were broken and cars set ablaze nearby.
An industrial centre in the Solomyanskyi district, south-west Kyiv, was also hit by missiles, the mayor said.
An attack in Brovary district of the broader Kyiv region killed one man and wounded another, Kyiv regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said.
The regional administration issued an alert earlier in the night warning residents to take shelter. It continued: “Air defense operations are possible in the area”.
More missile alerts were issued from regional authorities throughout the night, citing warnings from the Ukrainian air force that missiles were flying towards the capital.
The Russian airstrikes cut power to thousands of properties overnight, plunging parts of the Kyiv region into darkness, with technicians racing to repair the damaged energy grids.
