Kyiv and Odesa, June 10, 2025 — In one of the largest drone and missile barrages since the start of this conflict, Russia unleashed over 315 attack drones primarily Iranian-made Shaheds along with seven missiles–including North Korean and Iskander cruise missiles–overnight across Ukraine. The attacks hit Kyiv as well as Odesa in southern port city’s, leaving scores dead or injured and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure including destruction to Odesa maternity hospital according to official accounts from both cities’ officials.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this intense overnight drone Blitz one of the largest of his three-year conflict, engaging relentlessly with Ukrainian air defenses but multiple drones and missiles managed to breach city shields with ease, according to multiple news agencies (reuters.com, AP News and The Sun respectively).
Four people were seriously injured in Kyiv after seven out of ten districts reported fires sparked by downed drones; residents described seeing orange hued clouds of smoke fill the sky at sunrise and set for firefighter confrontations within an hour, according to TheSun.co.uk’s coverage.
Civilian Casualties and Infrastructure Damage At least three civilians were killed as a result of Monday’s strike: one in Kyiv’s Obolon district and two men in Odesa where residential buildings and maternity hospitals bore the brunt of its attacks, according to newsarab.com (+12) as well as AP News (+12) and Reuter News (+12).
Local authorities and media confirmed the hospital was evacuated in time, preventing any casualties among mothers and newborns thesun.co.uk A regional head in Odesa reported nine more injuries caused by building debris
independent.co.uk
AP News Inc (APNews.com). And Reuters.com also reported nine additional casualties as a result of falling debris.
Kyiv Plagued by Fires and Disruption
Alarms echoed across Kyiv for approximately five hours as explosions, anti-aircraft fire, residential zone fires, business center fires, metro station fires and residential refuges sought refuge in metro stations with one mother telling of clutching her eight month-old infant onto one of the cold underground platforms (newarab.com/washingtonpost.com & AP News).
Authorities deployed firefighting helicopters to quell multiple districts’ fires.
President Zelenskyy issued a plea for action, alleging Russia of attacking not just military targets but “the lives of ordinary people and heritage sites, including damage to UNESCO World Heritage Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv” [Sources: Wikipedia and AAP News].
He urged U.S. and European allies to pursue “concrete action”, warning global silence only emboldens Russia’s aggression (voir Wikipedia.org; AAP News Service + 4; The Guardian +4)
Ukraine’s foreign minister recently called for stronger international sanctions and strengthened air defenses, according to The Guardian.com.
Impact on Peace Talks
These strikes, which followed Ukraine’s recent drone attack against Russian airbases, mark an abrupt escalation despite ongoing peace discussions in Istanbul. An overnight barrage involving nearly 500 drones just the day prior had already increased tensions (according to The Times.co.uk and APN News’ +3 ratings respectively). An overnight barrage of nearly 500 drones the previous night further raised tensions (The Times.co.uk +3, APN News +3, and WashingtonPost+3 ratings respectively).
Observers see this attack as a shift away from diplomacy toward full-scale aggression.
Humanitarian and Cultural Repercussions The attack caused severe civilian damage, sparking concerns that hospitals had been targeted – an alarming trend throughout the war. Furthermore, it disrupted Odesa’s transport and emergency infrastructure, prompting renewed fears regarding humanitarian access and civilian protection.
Bottom line: Russia’s overnight drone and missile attack caused great harm to civilians, hospitals, cultural landmarks in Kyiv and Odesa. International pressure for decisive action to counter or deter further escalation is growing while emergency responders continue their work amid growing calls for global support.