Russian forces launched ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine early Thursday, shortly after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a "massive attack" by Moscow, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
At least one person was killed in the attack on Kyiv, where multiple non-residential sites caught fire, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
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The air force reported missile strikes also targeted Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih.
The Ukrainian Air Force issued an alert stating several waves of cruise missiles were launched from strategic aircraft, including from the Novorossiysk area in southern Russia.
Video from Radushne village near Kryvyi Rih showed devastation with bodies amid rubble and ongoing fires.
People sought shelter in metro stations across Kyiv, some sleeping on floors under blankets or inside small tents.
After the initial missile waves, the air force warned that "more ballistic missiles" were heading toward Kyiv.
Mayor Klitschko urged residents to remain in shelters due to the threat of further attacks.
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Poland responded proactively by scrambling fighter jets to protect its airspace, the country’s armed forces said on social media platform X.
Earlier, Zelensky had warned that Russia was preparing a widespread assault on all regions of Ukraine.
He emphasized that the safety of Ukrainians depended on allies' willingness to provide anti-missile defenses, following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, who agreed to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles.
Zelensky stated, "It is important that our partners fully understand what is happening and that the protection of people’s lives depends directly on their willingness, or lack of willingness, to provide air defense missiles."
In Washington, Zelensky described his White House meeting with Trump as "good," highlighting Russia’s loss of initiative amid heavy losses on the war front.
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Trump posted that "many things were discussed" and the meeting "went very well!"
