The death toll from the series of bombings launched early Thursday morning by the Russian Army against Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, has risen to 27, according to Ukrainian authorities, who put the total number of injured people at more than 90.
The governor of Kyiv, Timur Tkachenko, indicated in a message disseminated through his Telegram channel that "27 people have died and another 91 people have been injured as a consequence of the Russian attack," a figure he revised upwards after one of the injured died in the hospital due to the severity of their injuries.
"In one of the areas of the Darnytsia district, debris removal and survivor search operations continue. Only five deceased have been found and there are eight other people with whom contact has not yet been made. Rescuers will work tirelessly until all debris is removed," he assured.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) has mobilized 500 personnel and 96 fire, rescue, and specialized equipment vehicles to deal with the damage caused by the attack, as the agency itself had previously communicated.
The Ukrainian Army has accused Russia of firing 74 missiles and nearly 500 drones against different points in the country, including 24 'Iskander' ballistic missiles, 42 cruise missiles, and four 'Zircon' anti-ship missiles. According to their data, air defense systems managed to shoot down 48 missiles and 476 drones.
However, it acknowledged that 25 ballistic missiles and twelve drones did impact 33 different locations, while debris from intercepted projectiles and devices fell on another 18 areas.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense has admitted to "a massive attack" against the Ukrainian capital, which it presented as "a response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against civilian infrastructure in Russia," alluding to recent drone attacks against refineries and communication centers, according to a statement disseminated on social media.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has paid "tribute" to the victims of the massive attack and expressed his gratitude to "everyone who came" to the damaged areas to help, with special mention of SES personnel, the Police, and health services. "Thank you all very much! Those who need help must receive it. It is also important that local authorities do not leave people alone with their problems. Some buildings have been practically destroyed and there are families who have lost everything," he stated in a statement released by the Presidency.
At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian state has once again addressed his allies to demand more weaponry. "Our partners, mainly the United States and our European partners, must be more proactive in providing assistance in this regard. Russia no longer has arguments to justify its war beyond its ballistic missiles (...)," he declared.
In this regard, he assured that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, "remains determined to raze residential buildings instead of ending this war." "This can be countered both with a sufficient supply of anti-ballistic systems and with a much faster development of Europe's own anti-ballistic capabilities," he considered.
On the other hand, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has "strongly" condemned these bombings and stressed that "any attack against civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law."
Thus, in the words of his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, he stated that these "must cease immediately" and called again for "an urgent de-escalation leading to a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire."
The attacks occurred a few hours after Zelensky warned at a press conference in Ireland that he had "very worrying information about preparations for another massive Russian attack." "We have relevant intelligence data," he insisted, before stating that "Putin has been preparing this massive attack against Ukraine for a long time," although "it is not the first."