On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to respond against Russia's assaults on Kyiv, which resulted in the death of at least 21 individuals and injured many others, during his visit to a residential building damaged in the strike.
When asked by journalists if Ukraine would take revenge, Zelensky responded: "Certainly."
The mayor of Kyiv described it as the biggest attack yet on the capital, with the air force reporting that Russia had deployed 496 drones and 74 missiles, including difficult-to-detect ballistic weapons.
It claimed it intercepted 48 of the missiles and 476 unmanned aerial vehicles.
In Moscow, the Kremlin pledged to increase the "pressure" on Kyiv following the attack, maintaining its unyielding stance as emergency workers in Kyiv searched through the debris for those still alive.
Over the past four years of its ongoing war, Russia has frequently targeted Ukrainian cities with missile and drone attacks, making this the most lethal conflict in Europe since World War II.
Early in the day, residents gathered atop the debris of collapsed residential buildings shattered by the relentless attack, with smoke drifting across the Kyiv horizon.
In one place, a woman wept while hugging her son amidst the burning ruins.
Explosions began to resound late on Wednesday, continuing through the early morning hours of Thursday when Russian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeted residential neighborhoods in the downtown area.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko referred to it as the "enemy's largest assault on the capital," but did not provide further details.
State emergency authorities reported that at minimum 21 individuals lost their lives and 85 others sustained injuries, among them two minors.
The Ukrainian chapter of the Red Cross stated that its main storage facility was "damaged" during Russian attacks, resulting in the loss of approximately $2 million (€1.7 million) in relief supplies.
A major assault on Kyiv led to the destruction of the Ukrainian Red Cross' humanitarian storage facility," the organization stated on Facebook, noting: "A total of 320,000 pieces of aid supplies and gear, valued at over UAH 79 million, were lost.
In the meantime, the Ukrainian publisher BookChef Publishing, which has published works from George Orwell and Barack Obama, stated that approximately 800,000 books were destroyed as ashes due to air strikes.
Approximately 52,000 individuals, among them 4,500 minors, gathered in subterranean train stations for safety amid the bombardment, as reported by the Kyiv Metro.
Some took shelter in basement areas or hallways throughout the night as explosions caused structures all over the city to tremble.
Kiev asked its partners to provide additional air defense systems.
"Air defense equipment for Ukraine remains a top and essential concern," Zelenskyy stated in a Facebook update.
we are also greatly anticipating a decision from the united states concerning licenses for patriots.
Ukraine aims to produce ammunition for the U.S.-made missile interception system, which remains one of its few options for protection against Russian ballistic missiles, despite defense specialists noting that establishing domestic manufacturing will require some time.
Zelenskyy cuts short visit
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, stated she intends to suggest additional penalties against Moscow after the incident.
However, the Kremlin displayed no indications it would retreat, more than four years after an invasion that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
The assault occurred several hours following Zelenskyy ending his trip to Dublin on Wednesday, according to intelligence warnings about an upcoming Russian attack.
Zelensky stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "had been planning this large-scale attack on Ukraine for a while."
In recent weeks, Ukraine has increased its use of long-range drones within Russian territory, focusing on energy facilities and military installations.
Russian authorities have stated they have experienced multiple attacks in frontier areas, with Moscow claiming its aerial defense systems have shot down hundreds of unmanned aircraft originating from Ukraine over the past few days.
Efforts by the United States to mediate a resolution of the conflict have not succeeded yet.