A Russian missile strike on a residential block in central Kyiv has killed at least 24 people, Ukrainian officials confirmed this morning. The attack, which occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, levelled a nine-storey apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, sparking a fire that burned through the night. Rescuers continue to search the rubble for survivors, with 12 people reported missing as of 10:00 a.m.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as a “cynical act of terror” aimed at demoralising the nation. In a statement released on Telegram, he said: “The enemy knows no limits. They target our homes, our families. But we will not be broken.” The attack comes as a prisoner swap, brokered by the United Arab Emirates, proceeded as scheduled. Exchanges of captured soldiers and civilians have occurred sporadically throughout the conflict, but this is the first to take place amid such a devastating strike.
The exchange involved 96 Russian and 96 Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Among those released were 20 wounded soldiers, who were immediately transferred to medical facilities. The swap was conducted near the Sumy region border, with both sides confirming the return of their personnel. Analysts note that such exchanges often serve as rare moments of cooperation between the warring parties, yet their symbolic weight is increasingly overshadowed by the relentless violence.
The struck building, constructed in the 1960s, housed around 200 residents. Eyewitness accounts describe a thunderous explosion, followed by a cascade of debris. Maria Kovalenko, a 67-year-old retiree who lives in an adjacent block, told reporters: “I was thrown from my bed. Glass shattered everywhere. The screaming was awful. They just kept pulling people out, some alive, some not.”
Ukraine’s emergency services deployed over 150 personnel to the site, using sniffer dogs and thermal imaging to locate survivors. As of late morning, 34 people had been rescued, many with serious injuries. The death toll is expected to rise as crews clear the debris. Air raid sirens had sounded across Kyiv about 30 minutes before the strike, but residents noted the short warning time was insufficient to reach shelters.
International condemnation was swift. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the attack a violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits targeting civilian infrastructure. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described it as a “war crime”, while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed solidarity with Ukraine. Russia, however, denied responsibility, claiming its strikes only target military installations. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that its forces had hit a “temporary base of foreign mercenaries” in Kyiv, an assertion dismissed by Ukrainian officials as disinformation.
This incident underscores the grim calculus of war: even as diplomatic channels open for prisoner exchanges, the violence on the ground escalates. The prison swap, though a humanitarian gesture, does not signal a broader thaw in relations. Both sides remain entrenched, with Russia continuing its winter offensive in the east and Ukraine preparing for a spring counter-offensive. The strike on Kyiv may be intended to disrupt Ukrainian morale and infrastructure, but it also hardens resolve. As the sun rose over the charred remains of the apartment block, residents began a sombre process of mourning, while rescue workers pressed on against the clock. The sound of sirens again filled the air as an early warning system detected further threats. Kyiv, a city accustomed to war, digs graves for its dead while hoping for a peace that seems ever more distant.
