Russia launched one of its largest strikes on Kyiv: 14 killed, including a U.S. citizen

In the early hours of June 17, a fierce combined Russian missile and drone attack struck Kyiv, targeting multiple districts and triggering one of the most destructive assaults on the city in months.

Officials report at least 14 civilians killed, including one U.S. national, and 44 people injured.

A ballistic missile hit a residential high-rise in the Solomianskyi district, destroying the top seven to nine floors of the building and leaving the structure partially collapsed. Simultaneously, waves of Iranian-made Shahed drones attacked the city, with falling debris sparking fires across at least six districts — Solomianskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Darnytskyi, Obolonskyi, Podilskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi.

Emergency services responded to 27 incidents, rescuing people trapped under rubble and extinguishing blazes caused by drone wreckage. Power disruptions were reported in several neighborhoods due to automatic grid shutdowns. 

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed the death of a 62-year-old American citizen, who reportedly died from shrapnel injuries sustained during the attack. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, described the strike as one of the most brutal in recent memory.

The assault coincided with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the G7 summit in Canada, in what Ukrainian officials called a symbolic act of terror intended to undermine international support for Ukraine. Presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak labeled the attack a targeted campaign against civilians.