Kiev, 16 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) – Russia launched a wave of overnight airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital Kiev, killing at least two people, including a child, local officials said on Thursday.

Kiev's military administrator Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram that 18 people were also injured. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the victims included a 12-year-old child and a 35-year-old woman.

Journalists from The Kyiv Independent reported multiple explosions as missiles struck the city in several waves.

Damage to residential and commercial buildings was reported across several districts, Tkachenko said, with emergency services rescuing a child from the rubble of a damaged apartment block. The child and the mother were receiving treatment.

The full extent of the damage and casualties remained unclear as the attacks continued into the early morning.

Air raid alerts were also issued in other regions. In Dnipro, at least two people were killed and 27 injured in a missile strike, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram. Five of the injured were in critical condition and several residential buildings caught fire.

Explosions were also reported overnight in the port city of Odessa, Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. A Russian drone strike on Wednesday evening hit an apartment block, killing at least one person and injuring six.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion for more than four years. Since the start of the war, Moscow has repeatedly attacked areas far behind the front line, also hitting civilian infrastructure.

Photo: EPA archive