Kyiv strikes (2022–present)

Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine with around 2,950,000 residents, has been frequently targeted by the Russian Armed Forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Diagram of air raid sirens in Kyiv in 2023

Overview

An attempt to capture the city was made in February–April 2022, but the Russian forces were repelled. Since then attacks have been carried remotely through airstrikes. Since October 2022 Kyiv has been occasionally attacked by Iranian-made drones on Russian service.^[1] From the start of the invasion on 24 February 2022 until 28 May 2023, the air raid siren has been on in Kyiv for a total 887 hours^[2] (or around 36 days). Kyiv has 1,078 bomb shelters, but in June 2023 a government commission found that only half of them are usable.^[3]

List of strikes

Date	Details	Casualties within the city
25 February 2022	Missiles. One downed enemy aircraft crashed into a nine-storey residential building, setting it on fire.[4]	3 injured.[4]
1 March 2022	2 missiles hit Kyiv TV tower, partially knocking out access to news and broadcasts.[5]	5 dead, 5 injured.[5]
15 March 2022	Artillery shelling. A 35-hour curfew was announced by Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko.[6]	At least 4 dead.[6]
28 April 2022	Two long-range "air-based weapons" were launched during a visit by the UN Secretary General António Guterres. The attack killed RFE/RL journalist and producer Vira Hyrych.[7]	At least 1 dead.[7]
5 June 2022	Missiles hit the Darnytski and Dniprovski District of Kyiv.[8]	1 injured.[8]
26 June 2022	Long-range missiles fired from Russian bombers around Astrakhan damaged an apartment building and a kindergarten.[9]	1 died, 6 injured.[9]
10 October 2022	Missile strikes, at least one Kh-101 cruise missile was used. Caused power outage in Kyiv.[10]	8 dead.[11]
17 October 2022	28 Iranian-made drones were used, including HESA Shahed 136 (Geran-2). Most were reportedly shot down.[12]	At least 5 died.[12]
23 November 2022	Kh-101 missile was used.[13]	?
14 December 2022	13 Iranian-made drones were used. According to Ukrainian claims, all were shot down by air defense.[14]	None.[14]
16 December 2022	38 air-launched cruise missiles and 22 Kalibr sea-launched missiles were used.[15]	?
19 December 2022	23 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov were spotted over Kyiv, 18 of them were reportedly intercepted.[16]	None.[16]
29 December 2022	Missile strikes caused power outage, affecting 40% of Kyiv residents. Ukrainian officials claimed 16 missiles were destroyed over Kyiv.[17]	3 injured.[17]
2 January 2023	At least 60 drones targeted Kyiv, some evaded air defense.[18]	1 dead, 1 injured.[18]
14 January 2023	S-400 missiles were fired from Russia's Bryansk Oblast.[19]	?
28 April 2023	Kyiv came under attack after a pause of about two months.[20] Other locations were also attacked.	None.
3 May 2023	Shahed-type drones and missiles. According to Ukrainian claims, all missiles and drones were destroyed in Kyiv airspace by Ukrainian air defense forces.[21]	None.[21]
9 May 2023	25 Kalibr and Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles were launched from the Caspian Sea region, 23 of them were reportedly downed.[22]	None.[22]
16 May 2023	18 different missiles were launched – 9 Kalibr cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea, 6 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles, 3 Iskander short-range ballistic missiles from land[23] and 3 drones. According to Ukrainian officials' claims, all were shot down. Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov particularly praised the shootdowns of all Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.[24] According to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, 6 Kinzhal missiles were used from an estimated Russian reserve of about 50, which was regarded as "a relatively big number"[24] (that is 12%). One of the three MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems provided by the United States to Ukraine was damaged during the attack according to U.S. officials.	3 injured.[24]
25 May 2023	Unspecified number of cruise missiles were launched by Tu-95MS bombers at night from the Caspian Sea region. All were reportedly intercepted in Kyiv's airspace.[25]	?
28 May 2023	In a wave of 59 Shahed drones, 36 were shot down within Kyiv and the region.[2]	?
29 May 2023	Iskander ballistic missiles, possibly also S-300 and S-400 missiles were used. According to Ukrainian officials' claims, all missiles were shot down by air defense.[26]	1 injured.[26]
30 May 2023	31 Iranian-made loitering drones attacked from the north and south. Ukrainian officials claimed that the air defense destroyed 29 of them.[27]	1 dead, 5 injured.[27]
1 June 2023	7 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 3 Iskander-K missiles were used. All were reportedly shot down.[28]	3 dead due to falling missile debris, 11 injured.[28]
2 June 2023	15 cruise missiles and 21 Shahed drones were reportedly destroyed over Kyiv.[29]	2 injured by falling debris.[29]
13 June 2023	In a preliminary report Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles were fired at night by bombers Tu-95MS from the Caspian Sea, all missiles were reportedly destroyed by air defense.[30]	?
16 June 2023	6 Kalibr cruise missiles, 6 Kinzhal ballistic missiles and two drones were used, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, shortly before the arrival of an African delegation led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Kyiv.[31] No buildings were damaged.[31]	?
20 June 2023	30 Shahed drones were launched, 28 of them were reportedly shot down. The drones were launched from Russian territory to the north and from the coast of the Sea of Azov in the south-east.[32]	None.[32]
1 July 2023	Several Shahed drones were launched, all were reportedly shot down.[33]	1 injured, 3 homes damaged.[33]
21 September 2023	43 Kalibr cruise missiles, of type Kh-55 and it's variants Kh-101 and Kh-555, were air-launched by 10 Russian Tu-95MS bombers, at infrastructure across Ukraine, with an unknown number directed to Kyiv. 36 were shot down by air defense.[34][35]	3 hospitalized, 21 homes damaged.[36]
25 November 2023	Nearly 75 Shahed drones were launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and the Kursk region, Russia. 71 of them were intercepted, mainly in the Kyiv region.[37]	At least 2 injured in Solomianskyi District.[37] Some buildings damaged.[37]
21 March 2024	Two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles, possibly of North Korean origin, were shot down over the Kyiv region.[38]	17 injured by falling debris.[39]
8 July 2024	30 missiles struck Kyiv and other cities, damaging residential buildings, infrastructure, and the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.	At least 22 killed and 82 injured.[40]

See also

• List of military engagements during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure (2022–present)

References

1. Stephanie Höppner. "Who is supplying Russia with drones?". DW. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
2. "Russia launched dozens of Iranian-made drones at Ukraine overnight. Kyiv claims it knocked down all but one". CNN. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
3. "Minister: Only half of bomb shelters in Kyiv ready to receive people". The Kyiv Independent. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
4. "Photos: Ukraine assesses damage as Russian strikes hit Kyiv". Al Jazeera. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
5. "Ukraine says Russia targeting civilians as missiles hit Kyiv TV tower". The Guardian. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
6. "Russian bombardment of Kyiv kills four, curfew called". Reuters. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
7. "Moscow confirms attack on Kyiv during UN chief's visit". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
8. "Russian missile barrage strikes Kyiv, shattering city's month-long sense of calm". Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
9. "Ukraine: Russian warplanes pound Kyiv after weeks of calm". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
10. "At least 14 people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, state agency says". CNN. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
11. "Ukraine war: Dozens of missiles hit Kyiv and at least eight people killed". Sky News. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
12. "Death toll rises from "kamikaze" drone strikes in Kyiv". Axios. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
13. "Dating newly produced Russian missiles used in Kyiv attacks". Conflict Armament Research. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
14. "Kyiv repels Russian drone attack". Politico. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
15. "Арестович о вчерашней атаке Киева: кое-что новое было в этих ударах" (in Russian). RBK. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
16. "Russian drones attack Kyiv, as Moscow takes another swipe at Ukraine's power grid". CNN. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
17. "New wave of Russian missiles cause power outage in Kyiv, Lviv". Politico. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
18. "Ukraine carries out one of the deadliest attacks against Russian forces since war began". PBS. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
19. "Удар по Киеву 14 января: в Воздушных силах рассказали, откуда Россия выпустила ракеты" (in Russian). RBK. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
20. "Russia hits Ukraine with deadly missile salvo, killing 23". CBS News. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
21. "Wave of Russian attacks on Kyiv worst in a year, Ukrainian military says". CNN. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
22. "Russia launches 25 cruise missiles at Ukraine's capital". TVP World. 9 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
23. "U.S. Officials Confirm Damage to Patriot Defense System in Kyiv Attack". New York Times. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
24. "Russia's most potent hypersonic weapon neutralised, says Ukraine". The Guardian. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
25. "Deadly Russian strike on hospital, Kremlin talks with China and Brazil". France 24. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
26. "Ukraine war: Fresh attacks on Kyiv after intense drone barrage". BBC. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
27. "Russia Launches New Deadly Air Strikes On Kyiv; Drones Hit Moscow Buildings". RFE/RL. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
28. "Russia attacks Kyiv with Iskander systems, killing people aged 33, 34 and 11". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
29. "2 injured in Kyiv attacks early Friday, Ukrainian officials say". CNN. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
30. Ольга Глущенко (13 June 2023). "Враг атаковал Киев крылатыми ракетами, ПВО уничтожила все вражеские цели – КГВА". Ukrainska Pravda (in Russian). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
31. "Russia strikes Kyiv amid visit by African leaders on peace mission". Politico Europe. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
32. "Russia renews drone and missile attacks on Ukraine". BBC. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
33. "Russia targets Kyiv with overnight drone strike, first in nearly two weeks". Politico Europe. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
34. "Ukrainian defenders shoot down 36 of 43 cruise missiles launched by Russians". Ukrainska Pravda. 21 September 2023.
35. "Russia hits Ukrainian energy facilities in biggest attack in weeks, Kyiv says". Reuters. 21 September 2023.
36. "Оновлена інформація станом на 18:00". Kyiv Oblast State Administration.
37. "Russia launches biggest drone attack against Kyiv since start of war, Ukrainian officials say". CNN. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
38. Carey, Andrew; Butenko, Victoria; Kesaieva, Yulia (21 March 2024). "Thousands shelter from Kyiv missile barrage, hours after Biden's national security adviser visits". CNN. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
39. Harmash, Olena; Lyubysh-Kirdey, Ivan (21 March 2024). "Russia launches largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks". Reuters. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
40. Harmash, Olena; Hunder, Max (8 July 2024). "Russian missile attack kills 36, hits children's hospital, Ukraine says". Reuters. Twenty-two people, including two children, were killed in Kyiv and 82 more were wounded in the main missile volley and another strike that came two hours later, officials said.