Kyiv: A deadly overnight drone and missile assault by Russia on Kyiv and multiple Ukrainian cities claimed the lives of a mother and her son in the capital, Ukrainian authorities confirmed. The attack unfolded as international efforts, led by the United States, continue to struggle in securing a temporary pause in hostilities.
According to Ukraine’s air force, kamikaze drones were still flying over the country around 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Wednesday—more than nine hours after the first air raid sirens echoed through the Kyiv region.
Falling debris from destroyed drones sparked fires in apartments and buildings in Kyiv, killing at least two people amid an overnight attack by Russia https://t.co/nKZWPWPYAy pic.twitter.com/uDRKpUqZaO
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 7, 2025
The attack coincides with preparations in Moscow for the upcoming Victory Day parade on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s triumph in World War Two. The Kremlin is set to host 29 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a bid to demonstrate that Russia remains diplomatically connected despite its prolonged war in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine launched a wave of drones toward Moscow for the third consecutive morning. The strikes disrupted operations at major airports in the Russian capital, with closures enacted just hours before President Xi’s expected arrival.
In Kyiv, sirens and the thud of air defence systems broke the night’s silence, and debris from intercepted drones fell across at least three districts, according to Ukraine’s emergency services via Telegram. At one site, authorities were seen placing two bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets into a van.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated in a Telegram post that the victims were a mother and her son.
Evacuated in Nightclothes
At least seven others were wounded in the strikes, including four children. Zelenskiy said the attack involved four ballistic missiles and 142 drones targeting Kyiv and five additional regions across Ukraine.
Residents in Kyiv were forced to evacuate their homes in the early morning, many still dressed in nightclothes. Outside one damaged apartment complex, locals looked on as emergency crews battled fires and worked to contain smoke billowing from destroyed homes.
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“I know the people there, I have been trying to call them, they are not picking up,” said 66-year-old resident Volodymyr Khortov, standing beside the rubble. “God forbid.”
Meanwhile in Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defences had downed at least 14 Ukrainian drones after 10 p.m. Tuesday (1900 GMT), and no damage had been reported.
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Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that flights at all four major airports serving Moscow were temporarily suspended for the third consecutive night to maintain safety amid the drone threat.
President Vladimir Putin, who will host global leaders at the parade, has called for a ceasefire between May 8 and 10. However, Zelenskiy dismissed the move as symbolic and ineffective, instead advocating for a broader, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as proposed by the United States in March.
