Russia Launches Drone, Cruise, and Ballistic Missile Attacks on Kyiv as Schools Reopen

Kyiv: Russia launched an overnight barrage of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, officials reported on Monday, as children across Ukraine prepared to return to school. Some pupils found their classes cancelled due to damage from the attack.

In the early hours, several explosions rocked Kyiv, with debris from intercepted missiles and drones falling across every district, injuring three people and damaging two kindergartens, according to Ukraine's Interior Ministry. City authorities also reported multiple fires.

After over 900 days of conflict, neither Russia nor Ukraine appears to be easing their fight or moving closer to negotiations. Both sides are engaged in ambitious ground offensives, with Ukrainian forces advancing into Russia's Kursk region and Russian troops pushing deeper into Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, part of the industrial Donbas region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday that Ukraine's Kursk offensive would not hinder Russian progress in eastern Ukraine. He remarked, "The main task that the enemy set for themselves — to stop our offensive in Donbas — they haven't achieved it," during a visit to southern Siberia.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained last month that the Kursk incursion aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Moscow attacks across the border. Putin predicted that Ukraine's Kursk offensive, which began on August 6, would fail and that Kyiv officials would eventually seek "to move to peace talks."

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 35 missiles and 26 Shahed drones overnight from Sunday to Monday, with nine ballistic missiles, 13 cruise missiles, and 20 drones intercepted.

Residents of Kyiv rushed into bomb shelters. Oksana Argunova, an 18-year-old student, recounted the fear of the night, saying, "I woke up, my neighbor was shouting: Let's go down (to the shelter), there are big explosions.' We all ran."

Monday marked the first day back at school after summer vacation in Ukraine, a day typically filled with ceremonies and traditional celebrations. Outside a damaged Kyiv school, small groups of children and parents gathered as firefighters extinguished flames and cleared rubble. One 39-year-old mother, Olena, arrived with her 7-year-old daughter Sophia, unaware the school had been hit. "Of course, the child was scared. We hid in the bathroom, where it was relatively safe," she said.

President Zelenskyy stated on his Telegram channel, "Today is one of the most important days of the year for millions of our Ukrainian children, families, and teachers. Ukraine is doing everything to give children as many opportunities as possible. And all our schools, all higher education institutions that are working today are proof of the resilience of our people and the strength of Ukraine."

Both Russia and Ukraine continue to launch extensive long-range drone and missile strikes, indicating ongoing investments in weapon production. Russian air defenses intercepted 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over Moscow and nine over the surrounding region, the Defence Ministry said.

The Ukrainian headquarters of the Danish humanitarian organization DanChurchAid was destroyed by missile fragments, according to its head, Jonas Noddekaer. In Sumy, a northeastern Ukrainian city, 18 people were injured in a Sunday evening strike on a social and psychological rehabilitation center for children and an orphanage. Regional authorities confirmed there were no children in the facility at the time, but nearby residential buildings were affected, injuring six children.

An explosion also occurred in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, with Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv region, confirming an early morning strike on the Industrialnyi district, which set several buildings on fire.

The UK Defence Ministry reported that Russian forces have intensified their advance on the key Donetsk stronghold of Povkrosk over the past week and are likely within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the city. There have been no significant changes elsewhere along the 1,000-kilometer (more than 600-mile) front line.

(With Inputs from AP)