Kyiv suffers one of deadliest attacks in a year – UN monitoring mission statement
A combined missile and drone attack by Russian forces on the night of June 16-17 is likely the deadliest attack on Kyiv in almost a year, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (Mission) has said.
According to local authorities, the attack in Kyiv killed at least 14 civilians and injured 114. The Mission team is working to verify the number of civilian casualties and assess the extent of the damage.
The latest attack comes as Russian forces have stepped up nighttime strikes using long-range weapons across the country in recent weeks, showering cities with hundreds of drones and missiles.
Ukrainian authorities said the Russian overnight attack involved 440 long-range drones and 32 missiles, of which 175 drones and 14 missiles were aimed at Kyiv. The attack affected at least 30 locations in seven districts of Kyiv.
"Kyiv was the worst-hit city in last night's attack, which targeted the whole of Ukraine. At least 14 civilians are currently reported dead and over 100 injured, making it the deadliest attack in Kyiv in almost a year," said Mission Head Danielle Bell.
Kyiv suffered similar or higher civilian casualties on 8 July 2024, when at least 32 civilians were killed and 85 injured in an attack that also damaged the Ohmadit Children's Hospital.
In addition to the civilian casualties in Kyiv, at least one civilian was also killed and 19 injured in Odesa, as well as Chernihiv and Kyiv regions, as a result of the use of long-range weapons.
Ukrainian authorities said that at least 3,340 long-range drones (loitering and decoy drones) and 135 missiles were fired into Ukraine in the first 17 days of June. Yesterday’s attack was the fourth time this month that Russian forces have fired more than 400 munitions in a single night. By comparison, Russian forces fired 544 long-range munitions in June 2024. Prior to yesterday's attack, the Mission had confirmed that at least 29 civilians had been killed and at least 126 injured in Kharkiv, Kyiv and other cities in June as a result of long-range weapons or their interception. In the Mission's May update on the protection of civilians, long-range missiles and drones have caused widespread civilian casualties across Ukraine this year. In the first five months of 2025, almost 50 percent more civilians were killed and injured in Ukraine than in the same period in 2024.
"Last night’s attack exemplifies the serious threat posed by the tactic of simultaneously using missiles and large numbers of drones in populated areas, resulting in civilian casualties and severe suffering," Bell said.