Kyiv and Odesa were hit by a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack in the early hours of June 10, resulting in casualties and significant damage to residential buildings and infrastructure. Ukrainian authorities reported that air defense systems were engaged across the capital and in the southern city.
Contents
The attack led to at least three civilian deaths and several injuries across both cities, damaging homes, medical facilities, and historical sites.
Attack Details and Impact
Explosions were reported in Kyiv as air defense intercepted targets. In the capital, one woman was killed, and four others were injured, according to local authorities. Damage was reported in multiple districts.
Cars caught fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Drone debris fell in the Obolonskyi district, where the fatality occurred. Medics were called to the Podilskyi and Darnytskyi districts for injured individuals. Non-residential buildings also sustained damage and fires.
In Odesa, located approximately 442 kilometers from Kyiv, two men were killed, and at least eight civilians were wounded. One additional person suffered shock.
The attack damaged a film studio and medical facilities, including a maternity hospital and an emergency medical station. While 85 adults and 22 children were sheltering inside the maternity hospital, no patients or staff were injured. The emergency medical station’s administrative building was reportedly destroyed.
Casualties and Damage Reports
Initial reports confirmed deaths and injuries in both targeted cities.
- Kyiv: One woman killed in the Obolonskyi district; four people injured across various districts, some requiring hospitalization. Residential buildings were hit, and fires broke out.
- Odesa: Two men killed; at least eight civilians injured, with one suffering shock. Medical facilities and other infrastructure were damaged.
Witnesses in Kyiv described hearing explosions and experiencing the impact of the attack. Residents sheltered and reported damage to their homes, including shattered windows.
Firefighters extinguish a fire in Kyiv after a Russian attack on June 10, 2025.
Damage to a building in Kyiv following a mass Russian attack on June 10, 2025.
Damage to Cultural Heritage Site
The attack also damaged St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 11th century. Ukraine’s Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi confirmed the damage, calling the site a “centuries-old shrine symbolizing the birth of our statehood.”
The reserve’s general director, Nelia Kukovalska, informed Suspilne that the blast wave damaged the cornice of the cathedral’s central apse. UNESCO has been notified of the damage.
Damage visible on the exterior of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv after a Russian attack on June 10, 2025.
Ukrainian Air Force Report
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched a significant number of aerial weapons overnight. The attack involved:
- 315 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys
- Two North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles
- Five Iskander-K cruise missiles
These weapons primarily targeted Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted all seven missiles and shot down 213 attack drones. The Air Force noted that 64 additional drones disappeared from radar or were suppressed by electronic warfare systems.
This attack follows another large-scale assault just a day prior, when Russia reportedly launched a record 499 aerial weapons against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces reported neutralizing 479 of those targets through interception or electronic warfare.
Context and Reactions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as one of the largest on Kyiv during the full-scale war. He stated that the strikes undermine international efforts towards peace.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for immediate and strong international sanctions against Russia following the attacks. He emphasized targeting Russian banks, reducing the gas price cap, and implementing secondary sanctions on those aiding Russia in evading restrictions. Sybiha argued that such economic measures are crucial to defund Russia’s military capabilities.
Ukraine has consistently advocated for a Western-backed 30-day ceasefire as a preliminary step towards a broader peace agreement, a proposal reportedly rejected by Moscow during recent negotiations.
The frequency of missile and drone attacks highlights the ongoing intensity of the conflict. Recent intelligence suggests an increase in Russia’s ballistic missile production. For more details, see Exclusive: Russia’s ballistic missile production up at least 66% over past year, according to Ukrainian intel figures.
File photo of a ballistic missile launch.
The mass strikes on June 10 underscore the continued human cost and destructive impact of the conflict on Ukrainian cities and their residents.
This is a developing story. Continue reading The Kyiv Independent for the latest updates on the Russia–Ukraine war.
