The 24 April attack: how Russian troops bombarded Kyiv with missiles and drones

On the night of 24 April, Russian troops attacked civilian infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital. Loud explosions occurred in several districts of Kyiv. Other eyewitnesses reported explosions.

Russia again attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with drones and missiles. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on his Telegram channel that residential buildings and cars were damaged and caught fire in several districts. A residential building was destroyed and people were trapped in the rubble.

At least two people were killed in the attacks, and at least 54 others were injured. Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals, including six children. Klitschko urged people to stay in shelters.

Later, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that nine people were killed in the Russian attack on Thursday night, and 63 people were injured. It was a combined attack with missiles and drones.

‘There is destruction. The search for people under the rubble continues,’ rescuers explained on Telegram.

In Kyiv, the death toll has risen to at least twelve as a result of a combined Russian missile and drone attack. More than 90 people were injured, the military administration said. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, six children were among the injured.

There could be other victims under the rubble, as search and rescue operations were not yet complete even in the morning.

‘A phone call can be heard from among the rubble – the search will continue until we are sure that everyone is found,’ said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Rescuers continued to search for the two children.

On 25 April, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) announced that search and rescue operations at the site of a Russian attack on a residential building in Kyiv had been completed. The attack killed 12 people and injured 87.

Emergency and recovery operations are ongoing. Damaged building structures are being dismantled.

Russia’s strike on Kyiv on 24 April and the world’s reaction

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Kyiv’s large-scale missile and drone attack on Thursday evening as one of Russia’s most egregious attacks on his country since the beginning of the war. He said during a visit to South Africa that Russia attacked civilians using more than 250 drones and missiles.

At least nine people were killed. The President of Ukraine stressed that he was still interested in a peaceful solution to the problem, but after the recent attack, it became clear that Russia’s intentions matter.

French President Emmanuel Macron accused Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin of talking about a peace deal in the war in Ukraine while continuing deadly attacks on the country.

‘The only thing is for President Putin to finally stop lying,’ Macron said during a visit to Madagascar.

Macron noted that ‘when President Putin talks to American negotiators, he tells them: I want peace. When he speaks to the whole world, he says: I want peace’.

At the same time, he continues to bomb Ukraine and kill people.

‘There is only one answer we are waiting for. Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?’ The Americans proposed it, the Europeans supported it, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yes. ‘If President Putin says yes, the weapons will be silent,’ Macron said. The Russian president must answer the question about the ceasefire. ‘And at that moment, we can build a just, lasting, lasting, lasting peace.’

US President Donald Trump also reacted to Russia’s attack on Kyiv on 24 April. He sharply criticised Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. The politician was not happy about Russia’s attacks on Kyiv.

‘Unnecessary and very bad timing. Vladimir, stop! 5000 soldiers are being killed every week. Let’s reach a peace deal!’ he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

According to Ukraine’s preliminary data, Zelenskyy said Russia used a North Korean-made ballistic missile to launch a deadly strike on the capital Kyiv.

‘If the information about the production of this missile in North Korea is confirmed, it will be another proof of the criminal alliance between Russia and Pyongyang,’ President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook.

Ukrainian special services will check all the details. Information on the origin of the missile is currently preliminary.

According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian troops launched massive air strikes on Thursday as a distraction from ground attacks. They intensified their offensive, especially in the Pokrovske section of the frontline in the east, the politician said in a Telegram message early on Friday morning.

However, these attacks were repelled. At least twelve people were killed in an air strike on Kyiv on Thursday. It was the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.

Russia attacked Kyiv and Ukraine on 6 April, resulting in a large number of casualties.