Russia pounds Kyiv, other regions in mass drone and missile attack

Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine early on Sunday (28 September), killing at least four people and injuring dozens, in one of the most sustained attacks on the capital since the full-scale war began.

Neighbouring Poland closed its airspace near two southeastern cities and its air force scrambled jets in response until the danger had passed.

Ukraine’s military said that Russia launched 595 drones and 48 missiles overnight and its air defences shot down 568 drones and 43 missiles. It noted that the main target of the strike was the capital Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack, which lasted more than 12 hours, damaged a cardiology clinic, factories and residential buildings.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday it had carried out a “massive” attack on Ukraine using long-range air and sea-based weapons and drones to target military infrastructure, including airfields.

Moscow has denied targeting civilians in its war against Ukraine, although thousands have been killed and residential areas extensively damaged by its attacks.

Zelenskyy urges international partners to act

Zelenskyy again urged the international community to act decisively to cut off Russia’s energy revenues that fund its invasion. Ukraine has so far failed to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to impose punitive sanctions on Moscow.

“The time for decisive action is long overdue, and we count on a strong response from the United States, Europe, the G7, and the G20,” he said on the Telegram messaging app.

Kyiv awoke to loud explosions, drones flying overhead and air defences booming. Smoke from one of the strike sites drifted across the morning sky as the air raid alert ended at 09:13 a.m. (0613 GMT), nearly seven hours after it began.

Reuters journalists visited an area in the suburbs of Kyiv, where rows of newly built homes were almost totally destroyed, and parked cars flattened by falling debris.

Residents sifted through the wreckage of an apartment block after their windows were blown in by the force of a blast.

Some people hurried to metro stations underground, from where they followed events on their mobile phones.

Ukraine’s defences stretched

Attacks on such a scale have stretched Ukraine’s limited air defences throughout 2025. Zelenskyy said on Saturday an additional Patriot missile system from Israel had been deployed and he expected two more to arrive this autumn.

He and other officials have asked international partners for more to protect Ukraine’s skies, but air defence systems are limited in availability and other nations are keen to bolster their defences amid perceived threats from Russia.

Zelenskyy said Sunday’s attack targeted several regions, including the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, where authorities said at least 16 people were injured.

Emergency services said at least four people were killed, while 67 people were reported wounded across the country by local authorities.

Among the fatalities was a 12-year-old girl, although that has not been officially confirmed, Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram.

J.D. Vance sheds light on U.S.-Russia diplomatic dead end

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that in recent weeks, Russia has refused bilateral meetings with Ukraine and trilateral discussions involving U.S. participation.

In a Fox News interview, Vance addressed recent comments by President Donald Trump, who sharply criticized Russia’s position and expressed confidence that Ukraine can reclaim territories occupied by Russian forces.

Vance attributed these statements to “changing realities on the ground,” where Russia is suffering heavy personnel losses without meaningful territorial advances.

“We remain committed to peace, but it requires the will of both sides. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, we have seen the Russians refuse to participate in any bilateral meetings with the Ukrainians,” Vance said.”

“They have also declined any trilateral meetings where the president or another administration official could join the Russians and Ukrainians at the negotiating table,” he added.

Vance urged Russia to “wake up and accept the reality” of its mounting casualties and lack of progress. “How many more people are they willing to kill for a very small – if any – military advantage on the ground? I hope the answer is not that many, but our position is clear: We will continue working for peace and hope the Russians finally wake up to the realities on the ground,” he said.

On 23 September Trump unexpectedly voiced optimism about Ukraine’s ability to regain control over all its territory within internationally recognized borders, a stance he shared during a United Nations General Assembly meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump, in rhetorical shift, says Ukraine can retake all its land with EU help

Media reports indicate that European officials received this message with cautious optimism.

With Reuters, Fox News, European Pravda, edited by g.g.

Caption: Heay machinery is used to clear rubble in a residential area targeted by Russian strikes, in Kyiv, Ukraine, 28 September 2025, amid the Russian invasion. Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack across Ukraine using nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles, killing at least four people and injuring scores, according to the State Emergency Service. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO