Russia Launches Combined Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv

Russia has carried out a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, with residents seeking shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens echoed for hours.

The assault took place overnight, sparking intense air defense operations.

Serhii Popko reported that Ukrainian forces intercepted and destroyed several missiles and drones.

The Ukrainian military reported 96 aerial assaults, including missiles and drones.

These attacks were part of a larger offensive targeting Ukraine’s defenses.

A 48-year-old man sustained injuries from falling debris after a drone crashed in the Kyiv suburb of Brovary, where emergency teams fought fires ignited by the attack.

A separate drone strike resulted in the death of a 52-year-old woman, officials confirmed.

In response to the air raid alert, explosions were heard in Kyiv, with Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s chief of staff, confirming the missile assault.

Yermak blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attack in a statement shared on social media.

This latest offensive coincided with reports from the U.S. State Department that North Korean troops have begun supporting Russian forces on the battlefield.

Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers have reportedly arrived in eastern Russia, with many deployed to the western Kursk Oblast to engage in combat alongside Russian troops, a U.S. spokesperson disclosed.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held talks with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to discuss battlefield developments and the continued flow of U.S.

Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder affirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine, with $7.1 billion remaining in the Presidential Drawdown Authority for military aid.

The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative has allocated approximately $2.2 billion.

The acknowledgment of North Korean troop movements in western Kursk highlights the growing complexity and global reach of the conflict.