Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the strikes killed two people and wounded 16, without providing additional details. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a direct strike caused the collapse of the first through sixth floors of an apartment building, while emergency crews continued searching for people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

Klitschko said the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station that was also affected by the attack. Rescue operations continued through the night as firefighters worked to extinguish multiple blazes triggered by the strikes.

Images shared online showed flames engulfing the upper floors of a building along central Shevchenko Boulevard. Reuters witnesses reported hearing repeated explosions across the capital as Ukrainian air defense systems attempted to intercept incoming drones and missiles.

Residents carrying children, personal belongings, tents and pets sought shelter in underground metro stations after air raid alerts were issued across much of Ukraine. The latest assault marked Russia’s most extensive attack on Ukraine since the middle of June, according to the available information.

Earlier, Zelensky had warned of the possibility of a significant overnight assault and announced he was cutting short his visit to Dublin, where he had traveled for the start of Ireland’s six-month rotating presidency of the European Union. Ukrainian officials have not disclosed further operational details regarding the attack.

The heightened security situation also prompted neighboring Poland, a member of both NATO and the European Union, to scramble fighter aircraft as a precautionary measure while Russian strikes unfolded near the alliance’s eastern frontier.

The attack came as diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict remained stalled. Zelensky has proposed direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the war, now in its fifth year, but the Kremlin has rejected the proposal.

At the same time, hostilities have continued to intensify on both sides of the border. Ukraine has recently expanded long-range strikes deeper into Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and contributing to disruptions that have reportedly forced Russia to import gasoline from suppliers including India amid fuel shortages.

Russian regional authorities also reported Ukrainian drone attacks overnight. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, said air defenses destroyed six drones over the region, which hosts significant oil refining and export facilities.

Separately, officials in Russia’s Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, said a drone struck a residential home, killing one man and injuring his wife. The reports were published by local authorities on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield claims or casualty figures released by either side. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly said they do not deliberately target civilians, although attacks throughout the conflict have caused extensive civilian casualties and widespread destruction of homes, energy infrastructure and public facilities across both countries.