Russian Barrage Plunges Kyiv Into Darkness as Authorities Urge Residents to Shelter

Kyiv faced a fresh wave of intense Russian attacks overnight, plunging large parts of the Ukrainian capital into darkness as authorities urged residents to remain in shelters.

According to Alqahera News, the city came under “heavy and continuous” strikes, with groups of Shahed-type drones entering the capital’s airspace from three directions — south, east and north.

It reported that Kalibr cruise missiles were also launched from the Black Sea toward Kyiv, triggering a series of powerful explosions across the city. 

Most districts of the capital were experiencing a complete electricity blackout, worsening the already strained power supply after weeks of partial outages. Local authorities also received reports of missile impacts and falling debris across several residential neighborhoods.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that one residential complex had been directly struck, damaging the fifth, sixth and seventh floors. Emergency crews rushed to the scene to assess casualties and contain the damage.

Despite the barrage, Ukrainian air-defense systems continued operating at full capacity. Manaf described the persistent “buzzing” of drones overhead alongside the sound of anti-aircraft interceptors firing throughout the night.

Ukraine’s authorities later confirmed that the Russian assault on the capital was still ongoing, urging residents to remain inside fortified shelters until further notice.