The death toll from Russia’s overnight attack on Kyiv Thursday has risen to 28, including three children, with approximately 160 injured, according to Oleksandr Khorunzhy, spokesman for Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. He added that one more victim’s body was recovered from the rubble of a house.
Separately, one person died and five others were injured in a Russian attack on a private home in Zaporizhzhia. Regional Military Administration Head Ivan Fedorov reported the incident via Telegram, as cited by Ukrinform. Fedorov stated Russian forces continue attacks across the Zaporizhzhia region: a 63-year-old man was killed in Veselianka; a house was damaged and caught fire in Malokaterynivka, injuring a 65-year-old man, a 36-year-old man, and a 77-year-old woman. Ukrinform also reported another attack in the Zaporizhzhia district injured a 17-year-old boy and a 64-year-old woman, destroyed several houses, and sparked a fire.
Yesterday’s Developments:**
**Kyiv Attack:** Ukrainian sources reported 11 killed, including a 6-year-old child and his mother, and 135 wounded in a new missile and drone strike on Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled the perpetrators “Russian terrorists” and urged the West to push for a “regime change” in Moscow. US President Donald Trump condemned the attack on civilians as “disgusting” and signaled impending action: “I will impose sanctions,” though he conceded uncertainty over their effectiveness, stating “I don’t think Putin cares.”
**Military Situation:** Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed capture of the town of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region following intense year-long battles. Its fall potentially endangers the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, key Kremlin objectives. Kyiv’s military command did not comment on Moscow’s claim, but a spokesperson for a Ukrainian unit in the area told AFP it was a “Russian lie.” Ukrainian forces reportedly face severe shortages of personnel and equipment, straining defense lines.
**Trump-Medvedev Spat:** Tensions flared between Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump rebuked Medvedev on Truth Social after Medvedev warned on X (formerly Twitter) that US ultimatums were “steps towards war,” calling him a “failed former president of Russia” entering “very dangerous territory.” Medvedev, now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, responded swiftly on Telegram, interpreting Trump’s “nervous reaction” as validation of Russia’s stance. He cryptically referenced Soviet-era “Dead Hand” nuclear retaliation systems, advising Trump to recall “his favorite zombie movies.”
**Overnight Strikes:** President Zelensky denounced a direct Russian strike on a civilian building in Kyiv’s Svyatoshinsky district during Wednesday-Thursday night attacks, where Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported six deaths. Zelensky stated Russia launched over 300 drones and 8 missiles, hitting regions including Sumy, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk, where local authorities confirmed one death and 11 injuries.
**Zelensky’s Appeal:** Awaiting the scope of Trump’s promised sanctions, Zelensky urged that “everything currently declared by America and Europe will be implemented.” He insisted Washington and Kyiv’s European allies possess “all the tools” to “force Moscow to peace and to a real negotiating table.” Zelensky further asserted that without aiming for a “regime change in Russia,” Moscow would continue destabilizing neighbors post-war, demanding Western confiscation of frozen Russian assets as a first step.