Russia launched a devastating overnight ballistic missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, killing at least nine people and injuring 28 others, including children, according to Ukrainian officials. Multiple explosions rocked the city as missiles struck several districts, leaving damaged buildings, destroyed ambulances, and emergency responders searching through the rubble for survivors.

The strike comes amid an intensifying phase of the Russia-Ukraine war, with both sides increasingly targeting military and energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say the country's air defense systems are struggling to intercept Russia's growing use of ballistic missiles, while Kyiv continues to appeal for more Western air defense support.

The attack follows reports of Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia targeting logistics hubs, oil refineries, and military infrastructure, highlighting the continued escalation of the conflict.

Russia Launches Massive Missile Strike on Kyiv | 9 Dead, Emergency Services Hit

An air attack was launched by Russia on Ukraine early on Thursday in which three people,&nbsp;including&nbsp;two children, were killed. The latest attack brought fresh terror to the capital city, after a week of strikes. 
 
A series of aerial assaults were launched by the Russian forces on the Ukrainian capital, which included a daytime attack on Monday which forced residents to seek shelter. 
 
The attack on Thursday started around 3:00 am local time (0000 GMT), in which two children were killed and 10 others were injured, stated officials. 
 
"Among the three dead in the Desnyansky district, there were two children (aged 5-6 and 12-13)," wrote the Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/diplomatic-declaration-of-war-russia-asked-to-vacate-its-four-consulates-in-germany-598828">‘Diplomatic declaration of war’: Russia asked to vacate its four consulates in Germany</a>

On Wednesday, Russia stated that it has started the evacuation of hundreds of children from villages as shelling has intensified in Belgorod, as Kremlin called the situation "alarming". 
 
Authorities have started the evacuation of children from the border districts of Graivoron and Shebekino, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram. 
 
"The question of children's safety in the two districts...is very important. All of us, adults, are very worried,” Gladkov added. 
 
On Wednesday, tensions further escalated between Russia and the West as Germany announced that it would drastically cut down the diplomatic presence of Moscow on its soil in reply to a similar step taken by the Kremlin. 
 
Moscow called the decision taken by Germany "ill-thought-out" and promised a response.

<h2>'Alarming situation'</h2>

Governor Gladkov said that the authorities will take the first 300 evacuated children to Voronezh, a city which is around 250 kilometres into Russia. “And over 1,000 more children will be removed to other provinces over the coming days,” he added. 
 
State-run agency RIA Novosti's correspondent near Voronezh said that buses, with 150 people on board, had arrived.

WATCH |&nbsp;Fighting in Luhansk: Russia claims 5 killed in Ukraine shelling

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fighting-in-luhansk-russia-claims-5-killed-in-ukraine-shelling-598825/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Gladkov stated that the situation has worsened in the village of Shebekino, where shelling during the day had increased and injured four people. However, no deaths have been reported so far. 
 
On Tuesday, one citizen died and two others were injured in a strike that took place at a centre for displaced people in the region. In the recent week, various oil depots have also been hit. 
 
The attacks came as Kyiv stated that it is preparing to launch a major counteroffensive against Moscow's forces. "The situation is quite alarming," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about shelling in the region. 
 
"We have not heard a single word of condemnation from the West so far," Peskov added.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can&nbsp;now write for&nbsp;wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>. 
 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

An air attack was launched by Russia on Ukraine early on Thursday in which three people, including two children, were killed. The latest attack brought fresh terror to the capital city, after a week of strikes.

An air attack was launched by Russia on Ukraine early on Thursday in which three people, including two children, were killed. The latest attack brought fresh terror to the capital city, after a week of strikes. A series of aerial assaults were launched by the Russian forces on the Ukrainian capital, which included a daytime attack on Monday which forced residents to seek shelter. The attack on Thursday started around 3:00 am local time (0000 GMT), in which two children were killed and 10 others were injured, stated officials. "Among the three dead in the Desnyansky district, there were two children (aged 5-6 and 12-13)," wrote the Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram. ALSO READ | ‘Diplomatic declaration of war’: Russia asked to vacate its four consulates in Germany On Wednesday, Russia stated that it has started the evacuation of hundreds of children from villages as shelling has intensified in Belgorod, as Kremlin called the situation "alarming". Authorities have started the evacuation of children from the border districts of Graivoron and Shebekino, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram. "The question of children's safety in the two districts...is very important. All of us, adults, are very worried,” Gladkov added. On Wednesday, tensions further escalated between Russia and the West as Germany announced that it would drastically cut down the diplomatic presence of Moscow on its soil in reply to a similar step taken by the Kremlin. Moscow called the decision taken by Germany "ill-thought-out" and promised a response. 'Alarming situation' Governor Gladkov said that the authorities will take the first 300 evacuated children to Voronezh, a city which is around 250 kilometres into Russia. “And over 1,000 more children will be removed to other provinces over the coming days,” he added. State-run agency RIA Novosti's correspondent near Voronezh said that buses, with 150 people on board, had arrived. WATCH | Fighting in Luhansk: Russia claims 5 killed in Ukraine shelling Gladkov stated that the situation has worsened in the village of Shebekino, where shelling during the day had increased and injured four people. However, no deaths have been reported so far. On Tuesday, one citizen died and two others were injured in a strike that took place at a centre for displaced people in the region. In the recent week, various oil depots have also been hit. The attacks came as Kyiv stated that it is preparing to launch a major counteroffensive against Moscow's forces. "The situation is quite alarming," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about shelling in the region. "We have not heard a single word of condemnation from the West so far," Peskov added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Two children among three killed in Russia's fresh air strike on Ukrainian capital Kyiv

The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday it would need the UN&nbsp;mission in Syria to formally confirm its ability to deliver aid to eastern Aleppo before Moscow agreed to any new humanitarian pauses in fighting in the shattered Syrian city.

Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground, called to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of the wounded and civilians, have come to nothing because rebels have opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out.

Rebels contest that and say it is the Syrian army and its allies who have sabotaged the humanitarian pauses.

&quot;The Russian Defence Ministry will be ready to consider introducing new &#39;humanitarian pauses&#39; at any time as soon as representatives of the UN&nbsp;mission in Syria officially confirm their readiness and possibility to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo and to evacuate wounded and sick civilians,&quot; Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

The occasional humanitarian pauses on the ground are distinct from a unilateral moratorium on Russian air strikes on rebel targets inside Aleppo, which remains in place for now.

(Reuters)

Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground have failed because rebels opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out

The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday it would need the UN mission in Syria to formally confirm its ability to deliver aid to eastern Aleppo before Moscow agreed to any new humanitarian pauses in fighting in the shattered Syrian city. Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground, called to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of the wounded and civilians, have come to nothing because rebels have opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out. Rebels contest that and say it is the Syrian army and its allies who have sabotaged the humanitarian pauses. "The Russian Defence Ministry will be ready to consider introducing new 'humanitarian pauses' at any time as soon as representatives of the UN mission in Syria officially confirm their readiness and possibility to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo and to evacuate wounded and sick civilians," Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. The occasional humanitarian pauses on the ground are distinct from a unilateral moratorium on Russian air strikes on rebel targets inside Aleppo, which remains in place for now. (Reuters)

Aleppo ceasefire: Russia asks UN for aid guarantee before new pauses

Syria&#39;s army took control of a rebel-held district in central Aleppo on Tuesday, after days of heavy air strikes that have killed dozens and sparked allegations of war crimes.

In the first advance since announcing plans last week to retake all of the divided city, pro-government troops seized the Farafira district northwest of Aleppo&#39;s historic citadel, a military source told AFP.

&quot;After neutralising many terrorists... units are now demining the area,&quot; the source said.

The push follows several days of Syrian and Russian air strikes on rebel-held Aleppo neighbourhoods -- some of the fiercest bombardment of the five-year conflict so far -- after a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed last week.

The Aleppo maelstrom prompted Western powers to accuse Russia of committing possible war crimes, charges the Kremlin condemned as &quot;unacceptable&quot;.

In the latest broadside, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also condemned the air campaign.

&quot;The appalling attacks on Aleppo have shaken all of us, and the violence and the attacks we have seen... is morally totally unacceptable and is a blatant violation of international law,&quot; Stoltenberg told a news conference in Bratislava.

On the ground in eastern Aleppo, an AFP correspondent said air strikes struck several neighbourhoods simultaneously, including in Al-Shaar, where a five-storey building was levelled with a family stuck inside.&nbsp;

One young girl, her body encased in rubble, was among the dead. Her father, in shock as rescue workers picked up her lifeless body, collapsed beside her, saying: &quot;She&#39;s just sleeping. She&#39;s just used to sleeping.&quot;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said that more than 165 people have been killed by Russian and regime bombardment on the city since the government announced its offensive last week.&nbsp;

At least 23 civilians, including nine children, were killed Tuesday in raids on the neighbourhoods of Al-Shaar and Al-Mashhad, it said.

As well as the intensified violence, residents have been left reeling from food shortages and skyrocketing prices.

The World Health Organization warned that medical facilities in east Aleppo were on the verge of &quot;complete destruction&quot;.

&quot;Over the last weekend alone, more than 200 people were injured and taken to understaffed health facilities in east Aleppo,&quot; a spokeswoman said in Geneva.

The UN body called for &quot;an immediate establishment of humanitarian routes to evacuate sick and wounded from the eastern part of the city.&quot;

&#39;Absolutely unacceptable&#39;

The Observatory said that there were &quot;significantly fewer&quot; strikes on Aleppo on Tuesday than in recent days, but confirmed the advance by pro-government forces into Farafira.&nbsp;

Aleppo has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012, and the frontline has remained largely static despite continuous violence.

Earlier this month, a ceasefire went into effect across Syria, brokered after exhaustive talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.&nbsp;

It was dubbed by Kerry as the &quot;last chance&quot; to end more than five years of devastating conflict.&nbsp;

But it fell apart within a week, with each side blaming the other for the latest failure in a war that has cost more than 300,000 lives since March 2011.

Analysts said Tuesday that the unprecedented ferocity with which Aleppo has been hit in recent days suggested that Moscow was backing the Syrian government&#39;s aim to totally recapture the city.

&quot;Russia has decided to go all out because it no longer believes in the possibility of collaborating with the United States in Syria,&quot; said Fabrice Balanche, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

At an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Sunday, US ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of &quot;barbarism&quot;, while both the British and French envoys went further, alleging the bombing of Aleppo constituted possible war crimes.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that violence in Aleppo was on an &quot;absolutely unacceptable scale&quot; and that it was up to Russia and Syria to ensure humanitarian aid could reach the battered city.

(AFP)

The push follows several days of Syrian and Russian air strikes on rebel-held Aleppo neighbourhoods after a ceasefire collapsed last week

Syria's army took control of a rebel-held district in central Aleppo on Tuesday, after days of heavy air strikes that have killed dozens and sparked allegations of war crimes. In the first advance since announcing plans last week to retake all of the divided city, pro-government troops seized the Farafira district northwest of Aleppo's historic citadel, a military source told AFP. "After neutralising many terrorists... units are now demining the area," the source said. The push follows several days of Syrian and Russian air strikes on rebel-held Aleppo neighbourhoods -- some of the fiercest bombardment of the five-year conflict so far -- after a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed last week. The Aleppo maelstrom prompted Western powers to accuse Russia of committing possible war crimes, charges the Kremlin condemned as "unacceptable". In the latest broadside, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also condemned the air campaign. "The appalling attacks on Aleppo have shaken all of us, and the violence and the attacks we have seen... is morally totally unacceptable and is a blatant violation of international law," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Bratislava. On the ground in eastern Aleppo, an AFP correspondent said air strikes struck several neighbourhoods simultaneously, including in Al-Shaar, where a five-storey building was levelled with a family stuck inside. One young girl, her body encased in rubble, was among the dead. Her father, in shock as rescue workers picked up her lifeless body, collapsed beside her, saying: "She's just sleeping. She's just used to sleeping." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said that more than 165 people have been killed by Russian and regime bombardment on the city since the government announced its offensive last week. At least 23 civilians, including nine children, were killed Tuesday in raids on the neighbourhoods of Al-Shaar and Al-Mashhad, it said. As well as the intensified violence, residents have been left reeling from food shortages and skyrocketing prices. The World Health Organization warned that medical facilities in east Aleppo were on the verge of "complete destruction". "Over the last weekend alone, more than 200 people were injured and taken to understaffed health facilities in east Aleppo," a spokeswoman said in Geneva. The UN body called for "an immediate establishment of humanitarian routes to evacuate sick and wounded from the eastern part of the city." 'Absolutely unacceptable' The Observatory said that there were "significantly fewer" strikes on Aleppo on Tuesday than in recent days, but confirmed the advance by pro-government forces into Farafira. Aleppo has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012, and the frontline has remained largely static despite continuous violence. Earlier this month, a ceasefire went into effect across Syria, brokered after exhaustive talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. It was dubbed by Kerry as the "last chance" to end more than five years of devastating conflict. But it fell apart within a week, with each side blaming the other for the latest failure in a war that has cost more than 300,000 lives since March 2011. Analysts said Tuesday that the unprecedented ferocity with which Aleppo has been hit in recent days suggested that Moscow was backing the Syrian government's aim to totally recapture the city. "Russia has decided to go all out because it no longer believes in the possibility of collaborating with the United States in Syria," said Fabrice Balanche, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. At an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Sunday, US ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of "barbarism", while both the British and French envoys went further, alleging the bombing of Aleppo constituted possible war crimes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that violence in Aleppo was on an "absolutely unacceptable scale" and that it was up to Russia and Syria to ensure humanitarian aid could reach the battered city. (AFP)

Syrian army retakes Aleppo's rebel-held Farafira district