Apartment Block Collapses as Russia Unleashes One of War’s Largest Air Barrages on Kyiv

Russia launched one of the war’s largest aerial assaults on Kyiv overnight, firing 731 drones and missiles at Ukraine. A nine-story apartment block partially collapsed in the capital, killing one person and injuring 19. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most targets as rescue operations continued in Kyiv. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Rescuers work at a residential building partially destroyed following Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv on May 14, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Ukraine's capital came under heavy aerial attack early on May 14, an AFP journalist reported, as Kyiv's mayor said Russia was striking the city. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Kyiv came under a massive, multi-wave Russian aerial assault in the early hours of Thursday, as Russian forces launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, damaging residential buildings across several districts and trapping people under rubble after part of an apartment building collapsed. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched a total of 731 aerial weapons overnight – including 56 missiles and 675 drones – in what became one of the largest air assaults of the war. The main direction of the attack was Kyiv. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The barrage came immediately after Russia launched nearly 800 drones during attacks throughout Wednesday , continuing a sustained bombardment campaign that Ukrainian officials described as one of the longest and largest coordinated assaults since the start of the full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia used Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Kh-101 cruise missiles and hundreds of Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs launched from multiple regions inside Russia and occupied Crimea. Ukrainian air defenses – including aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups – reportedly destroyed or suppressed 693 aerial targets, including 41 missiles and 652 drones. Officials said 15 missiles and 23 drones struck targets at 24 locations, while debris from intercepted targets fell across 18 separate areas. Air Force officials warned that the attack was still ongoing Thursday morning, with additional groups of drones entering Ukrainian airspace. Other Topics of Interest ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 13, 2026 Latest from the Institute for the Study of War. Rescue Crews Search the Rubble Air raid sirens sounded across Kyiv and much of Ukraine overnight as Ukraine’s Air Force tracked multiple groups of Russian missiles and drones moving toward the capital. Deafening explosions echoed across the city as Ukrainian air defense units engaged incoming targets in successive waves. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an entire section of a nine-story residential apartment building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district was destroyed in the strike. “A panel nine-story residential building in Darnytskyi district. Eighteen apartments have been destroyed,” Klitschko said . He added that rescuers had already pulled 11 people from the building as search-and-rescue operations continued. “Rescuers continue clearing the rubble, where people may still be trapped,” he said. According to Klitschko, one person was killed in the attack on Kyiv and 19 residents were injured. Eight of the wounded were hospitalized in Kyiv medical facilities. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service earlier said rescuers had pulled survivors from the debris as emergency crews worked through the night. Kyiv City Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said falling debris from intercepted drones and missiles struck several districts of the capital. In Obolonskyi district, debris hit a residential building, sparking a fire. Damage was also reported in Dniprovskyi, Holosiivskyi and Solomianskyi districts, affecting residential buildings, roadways, parked vehicles and non-residential structures. Officials urged residents to remain in shelters as Ukrainian air defense forces continued repelling waves of incoming strikes. Information about casualties was still being clarified. President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned that Ukrainian intelligence detected preparations for further large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukrainian officials said the scale and sequencing of the bombardment suggested a calculated saturation strategy aimed at exhausting Ukraine’s air defense ammunition and overwhelming monitoring systems before heavier missile salvos. Speaking to Kyiv Post during the attack , Elkhan Nuriyev, a member of Ukraine’s Officers’ Union, said the tactic reflected Russia’s broader effort to wear down Ukrainian defenses while maximizing psychological pressure on civilians. “Drones have been coming in waves for more than 30 hours,” Nuriyev said. “They usually launch missiles at night, when people are asleep, to cause maximum disruption and anxiety.” According to Nuriyev, Moscow was attempting to create an atmosphere of exhaustion inside Ukraine while projecting an image of battlefield dominance internationally. Nuriyev linked the timing of the strikes to the anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, arguing that the Kremlin wanted the war in Ukraine to dominate discussions between the world’s major powers. “Putin wants them to say at the negotiating table in Beijing: ‘Look, Russia is finishing off Ukraine,’” Nuriyev said. “It is deliberately calculated to project an illusion of Russian dominance.” The latest assault came just days after Russia’s scaled-back May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow, widely viewed as a sign of mounting pressure on the Kremlin amid the ongoing war. Air raid alerts remained active across parts of Ukraine Thursday morning as officials urged residents to stay in shelters until the all-clear was given. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments.  With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team. Sevinj Osmanqizi is a journalist covering US foreign policy, security, and geopolitics, with a focus on the broader post-Soviet space. She reports on Washington’s decision-making and its implications for Ukraine and regional stability.