Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing six people in the Kyiv region, including a six-month-old baby, a 12-year-old girl, and a woman. Energy infrastructure sites and several apartment buildings were damaged.
The attacks continued through most of the night from Tuesday into Wednesday, with at least four ballistic missiles launched at Kyiv. Loud explosions were heard across different parts of the city. Toward dawn and during the morning rush hour, the sound of air defense systems intercepting Russian drones echoed above the city streets.
People gather near residential buildings damaged by a Russian drone and missile strike during an attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, October 22, 2025.
Kyiv residents take shelter in a metro station during a Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine, October 22, 2025.
The strikes coincided with reports of a major Ukrainian attack on a large chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region using British and French Storm Shadow missiles. Ukrainian drones also hit targets in Mordovia.
The first explosions in Kyiv occurred shortly after 1 a.m., followed by new blasts about half an hour later. Explosions were also reported in Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, and Dnipro, where air raid alerts remained in effect until morning.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, rescuers pulled ten people from a burning building after debris from a downed drone hit the sixth floor of a sixteen-story apartment block. The blast wave shattered windows in a nearby medical facility, and more drone fragments fell close to another residential building.
In the Darnytskyi district, drone debris damaged a seventeen-story building, sparking fires on five floors. In the Desnianskyi district, rescuers evacuated twenty people after damage to the facade of a tenth-floor apartment caused a gas pipe to ignite.
In the Poltava region, according to Governor Volodymyr Kohut, the strikes disabled oil and gas facilities, while Dnipro came under heavy shelling. In Zaporizhzhia, a residential building was damaged, and at least thirteen civilians were injured.
In recent weeks, Russia has sharply intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, targeting power plants and gas infrastructure.
The overnight strikes coincided with plans by Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Sweden, where on Wednesday he is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The meeting marks the start of an intense diplomatic period in Europe. On Friday, London will host a session of the “coalition of the willing,” aimed at strengthening support for Ukraine amid a renewed shift in the stance of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The prime minister and President Zelensky will hold a joint press conference to announce news related to defense exports,” the Swedish government said, adding that the leaders will also visit one of the country’s industrial facilities.
A residential building in Zaporizhzhia damaged by a strike, October 22, 2025.
A Zaporizhzhia resident inside an apartment damaged by the strike, October 22, 2025.
Residents of Zaporizhzhia clear the balcony of their apartment in a high-rise building damaged by a Russian drone strike during an attack on Ukraine, October 22, 2025.
The latest airstrikes underscored the failure of Trump’s recent attempts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, even as the U.S. leader sought to pressure Zelensky into ceding eastern Donbas to Russia following a tense meeting last week.
Zelensky had arrived in Washington hoping to secure long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, but a two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin led to a sharp reversal in position. According to reports, Trump warned Zelensky that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if it refused to accept Russia’s terms.
Trump Told Zelensky He Will Not Provide Tomahawk Missiles
After His Call with Putin, the U.S. President Said His Priority Is Diplomacy and Ending the War Along Current Lines
European Leaders Warn Trump Against Imposing Territorial Concessions on Ukraine
They Support His Call for a Ceasefire but Emphasize That Borders Must Not Be Changed by Force
Afterward, Trump announced his intention to meet with Putin in Budapest within two weeks, prompting a swift response in Europe, where leaders are eager to demonstrate support for Kyiv.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said that Moscow’s refusal to halt fighting along the current front line remains the main obstacle to any agreement. Earlier, a White House official emphasized that a Trump–Putin meeting is not planned “in the near future.”