Deadly Russian Airstrikes Kill 4 in Kyiv After Putin Tells Trump He’ll ‘Retaliate’
Kyiv Post correspondents have been reporting updates throughout the night — you can find them here.
Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack across Ukraine early Friday, June 6, killing at least four people and injuring 20 in the capital, Kyiv, as strikes hit cities and regions with a mix of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Kalibr missiles, and dozens of drones.
The strike came less than two days after Russian leader Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump in a phone call that Russia would retaliate for Ukrainian attacks on the airbases deep inside Russia, which damaged aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons and angered Moscow.
Explosions were first reported shortly after midnight in Kyiv, where Kyiv Post correspondents said air defense systems were active. Residents heard a mix of sounds – from drones being intercepted to direct hits by ballistic missiles.
By around 2 a.m., reports confirmed that missiles had been launched from four strategic bombers: two TU-95MC and two TU-160MC. Analysts noted the unusually low number of aircraft involved, possibly due to Ukraine’s recent June 1 strikes on Russian airfields that reportedly damaged multiple warplanes.
Around 3 a.m., missile tracking monitors reported the launch of Kalibr missiles from Russian warships stationed in the Black Sea.
In Kyiv, the attack caused significant destruction. Mayor Vitali Klitschko, city military administration head Timur Tkachenko, and the State Emergency Service confirmed the capital was hit by both UAVs and ballistic missiles.
Emergency crews put out fires in several areas, including high-rise buildings in the Solomianskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
As of 6:27 a.m., four people had been confirmed dead and 20 injured, 16 of whom were hospitalized. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, three of the four victims were firefighters from the State Emergency Service who died in the line of duty while responding to the attack. Search and rescue operations are continuing.
Source: Alisa Orlova