At least 28 killed, 114 injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv and Odesa (updated)
At least 28 people were killed and 114 more wounded in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, officials said, and BBC News reported.
The attack overnight into June 17, 2025, was one of the largest bombardments on Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said a total of 440 drones and 32 missiles had been launched at the country. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry claimed that its air defence units intercepted and destroyed 147 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The strikes in Kyiv lasted more than nine hours, sending residents fleeing to underground shelters from before midnight until after sunrise.
Officials said a ballistic missile hit a nine-storey apartment building in one district, with a total of 27 districts of the capital of Ukraine coming under fire.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a 62-year-old US citizen was among those killed.
Later, the New York Times reported that Oregon native Fred Grandy, according to his family, was upset by the United States’ reversal in its support for Ukraine. He arrived in the Ukrainian capital in late May 2025, close to his 62nd birthday, and volunteered to clean up the rubble left by Russian attacks, family members said.
Fred Grady“He was a person who wanted to make a difference so badly,” said his sister Sietska Reed, 75, who lives near Bend, Oregon. “I talked to him about five days ago, and he told me that he felt he was right where he should be. And he was hoping he could stay for five or six months more and help.”
A video from the scene shows that an entire entrance of a residential high-rise building in Kyiv has been destroyed. Klitschko said over 40 apartments had been destroyed.
“People may be trapped under the rubble. We do not rule out that the death toll may increase,” he said.
According to Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communication Department of the Air Force, a residential building in Kyiv had been hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile.
“Of the 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles, one hit the house; you can see the terrible aftermath; the other 15 were shot down,” Ihnat said.
Klymenko stated that as of 17:30, Russians had killed 12 people. Of these, 10 were in Kyiv and two more were recovered from the rubble in Odesa.
“Operational information is, unfortunately, often subject to correction. During search and rescue operations, body parts may be found that were initially recorded as separate fatalities. Final confirmation is provided by forensic experts after analysis in a mobile DNA laboratory,” he said.
Russia has intensified its air attacks against Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, with a tactic of sending large waves of drones and decoys designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences.
Ukrainian Railways reported that during a massive Russian air attack, railway infrastructure in Kyiv and the region was damaged.
The company’s CEO, Ihor Smilianskyy, reported that as a result of the Russian attack, Ukrposhta lost two post offices in Kyiv—03124 and 03126.
“Preliminarily, we will resume the operation of branch 03124 at a new address tomorrow and will transfer all parcels. We will provide further information,” he wrote.
In addition, branch 03126 will be temporarily serviced through branch 03061 while the company looks for new premises and also tries to resume operations as soon as possible.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s most recent wave of strikes “pure terrorism”. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of carrying out the large-scale strikes “solely because he can afford to continue this war”.
“It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this,” he said, adding: “It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people.”
Zelenskyy had been hoping to speak with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, but Trump cut short his stay amid the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
BBC News pointed out that the news will come as a blow to Zelenskyy and his administration, which had been hoping to secure US support at the conference for Ukraine’s strategic and military goals.
Nevertheless, the UK and its allies are expected to announce additional sanctions on Russia on Tuesday in continued efforts to sustain pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
By way of background, the war in Ukraine has not ended 24 hours after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, as he promised. His further attempts to facilitate an unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine have also failed.
