Kyiv death toll reaches 28 after Russia’s June 17 strike, search efforts continue

Russia launches over 440 drones and 32 missiles at Ukraine

This was reported by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to him, last night the Russian forces launched more than 440 drones and 32 missiles to strike Ukraine. The occupying Russian army heavily attacked Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad region, Mykolaiv region, and Kyiv region.

Zelenskyy stated that, as of 9:30 a.m., the attack had resulted in 75 people injured and 15 killed.

"Right now in Kyiv, efforts are underway to rescue people from under the rubble of an ordinary residential building — it's still unclear how many remain trapped. The Russians destroyed an entire section of the apartment block. In total, buildings in eight districts of Kyiv have been damaged. Response efforts are still ongoing after the strike on Odesa. Emergency workers are operating at all the sites of impact. All the affected are receiving the necessary assistance," the president added.

He described these Russian attacks as pure terrorism.

"And the whole world, the United States, and Europe must finally respond as a civilized society responds to terrorists. Putin does this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on. It is wrong when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it. We are in contact with all partners at every possible level to ensure an appropriate response. It is the terrorists who must feel the pain, not innocent peaceful people," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Consequences of the attack on Kyiv

On the morning of May 18, the State Emergency Service reported that search operations had continued throughout the night in the Solomyanskyi district.

As of 08:00 a.m., the bodies of six more people had been recovered from the rubble of the partially destroyed nine-story building. In total, 17 bodies have been retrieved at that location. The operation is ongoing.

At around 11:50 a.m., according to the State Emergency Service, the death toll from the Russian missile strike in the Solomyanskyi district rose to 23. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

A total of 28 people have been killed and 134 injured in the capital so far.

As of 11:20 p.m., the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that the bodies of three more people had been recovered from the rubble of the partially destroyed nine-story building. The death toll in the capital has now risen to 16, with 134 injured.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that around 30 missile strikes or debris impacts were recorded overnight on June 17 in Kyiv.

"Nearly 150 residential buildings were damaged in Kyiv alone. It is currently known that 131 people were injured. Fifteen people were killed. Among the dead is a citizen of the United States," he added.

As of 9:37 p.m., Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that rescuers had recovered the bodies of four more people from the rubble.

"Currently, there are 14 confirmed deaths following the Russian attack on the capital last night. Search and rescue operations are ongoing," he wrote.

As of 7:50 p.m., the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that a total of 14 people had died in Kyiv, and 117 were injured. Rescue operations continue.

"In the Solomyanskyi district, on Vaclav Havel Boulevard, the body of one deceased person was recovered from the rubble of a nine-story building," the statement said.

The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that as of 6:40 p.m., 13 deaths had been confirmed in Kyiv. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Ihor Klymenko, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that by 5:30 p.m., 10 victims were confirmed in Kyiv. Rescue work is still underway at two sites, as people may be trapped under the rubble.

“Operational information often changes. During rescue efforts, body parts may be found and counted as separate victims at first. Final identification is done by forensic experts using DNA analysis,” Klymenko explained.

Marina Kotsupey, acting head of media relations for the State Emergency Service in Kyiv, spoke about the strike’s impact at 4:15 p.m. on Espreso TV.

“We had a very tough night and the day is not easier. We are working at the Solomyanskyi district, where a 9-story residential building was hit. Floors nine to one and the roof were destroyed. Search and rescue operations continue. According to official data, 14 people are confirmed dead and 105 injured. So far, five bodies have been recovered, but this is preliminary. Identification and further work are ongoing, so it’s too early to give a final number,” she said.

There may still be people trapped under the rubble, and rescuers hope to find survivors.

“Rescuers are working non-stop, using heavy equipment and special tools. Eight canine teams are also at the site. Work continues with moments of silence when everyone listens carefully for signs of life. We expect to keep working until nightfall and hope the death toll does not rise,” Kotsupey added.

She also said that at another site, there were bullets from cassette ammunition, but no one was injured.

The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that 14 people were killed in Kyiv. Work to search for victims under the rubble continues. It is also known that a U.S. citizen died during the attack.

According to the city authorities, as of 10:00 a.m., 114 people sought medical assistance following Russia’s massive attack, with 68 of them hospitalized. The others received medical care on-site and did not require hospitalization.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko emphasized that rescue teams are working at the sites, so there is still no precise information about the deceased. At least five residents of an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district are considered missing.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that Russians had struck a high-rise building in Kyiv with a ballistic missile, a direct hit occurred.

"A direct hit, preliminary, by a ballistic missile. The impact was so strong that the missile went through all 9 floors," the Interior Minister said.

As of 7:21 a.m., 44 people were wounded in Kyiv. Another 6 people were injured in the Odesa region, and 1 person was injured in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.

Rescuers have managed to unblock people from entrances, apartments, and from under the rubble. The video shows one of the rescued residents.

The first consequences of the Russian attack in the capital were recorded after midnight. At 00:17 a.m., the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, informed that a Shahed had fallen in the Solomianskyi district, without further fire.

At about 00:20a.m., explosions were heard in Kyiv, an Espreso correspondent reports.

At 00:26, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote that air defense was operating in Obolon. He called for people to take shelter. Later, Klitschko said that medics and rescuers had been called to the Solomyansky district.

At 00:46, the mayor wrote that the top floor of a residential building in the Solomyansky district had been preliminarily destroyed. Doctors are examining two victims. Another ambulance crew is on its way to Dniprovskyi district.

The head of the Kyiv City Administration said that as of 00:48 a.m., the number of victims had increased to five.

At 1:00 a.m., the mayor informed that air defense was operating in the center of Kyiv, and a fire broke out in a non-residential building in Solomianskyi district. At the same time, according to the head of the Kyiv City Administration of Emergency Situations, debris was recorded falling at two locations in the Darnytskyi district, and a fire broke out at one of the addresses.

Klitschko said that as of 1:08 a.m., the number of victims in Sviatoshynskyi district had increased to nine. Four of them were hospitalized and five were treated on the spot. Warehouses are burning in the area.

At 1:13 a.m., air defense worked in Obolon.

At 1:23 a.m., Tkachenko said that there was information about damage at new locations in the Solomianskyi district. Klitschko said that there were reports of fires at two locations in the Darnytskyi district and a fire in the Solomianskyi district.

According to Tkachenko, there are power outages in some parts of the capital.

Shortly afterward, explosions were heard in the capital again, Espreso correspondents report.

As of 1:45 a.m., 11 people were reported injured in the Solomianskyi district of the capital: six were hospitalized, five were treated on the spot. In addition, a man with burns was hospitalized in Sviatoshynskyi district.

At 2:18 a.m., Tkachenko reported that a piece of a Shahed got stuck in the wall of a residential building in Dniprovskyi district. In Podilskyi district, a drone fragment fell in an open area without further consequences. A car was damaged in Obolonsky district, without fire.

"In Holosiivskyi district, in the private sector, and in Darnytskyi district, in the area of Chervonyi Khutor, there was a power outage due to the activation of automation. Power brigades are already working," Klitschko wrote at 2:30 a.m.

As of 2:35 a.m., according to the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, the consequences of the Russian attack are known at 12 locations in Solomianskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, Podilskyi, and Obolonskyi districts. There is information about 12 victims.

At the same time, the mayor of Kyiv reported 16 victims. In addition to Solomianskyi district, two victims in Darnytskyi district and one in Dniprovskyi district sought medical attention. They were provided with assistance.

In a commentary to Suspilne, the acting rector of the Kyiv Aviation Institute, Ksenia Semenova, said that the university's dormitories were damaged as a result of the Russian attack. In particular, the 10th dormitory was hit by attack drones, and the blast wave damaged the windows in three more dormitories.

As of 4:29 a.m., it was reported that a kindergarten in Darnytskyi district was damaged and an industrial area in Dniprovskyi district was hit. Preliminary, there were no casualties. In Podilskyi district, debris fell in two locations in the open area.

In his turn, Klitschko spoke about a fire on the upper floors of a residential building in Shevchenkivskyi district and calls for medical assistance to Dniprovskyi, Darnytskyi, Solomianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts.

Attack on Kyiv region

At 3:21 a.m., Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, spoke about the consequences of the enemy attack on the Kyiv region.

In Vyshhorod district, a woman born in 1970 sustained a cut wound to her right shoulder. A private house was damaged - its windows were smashed.

In Brovary district, the roof of a private house caught fire. A fire was also reported in an outbuilding on the territory of an enterprise.

Attack on Zaporizhzhia

At 2:08 a.m., the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov reported explosions in the region. At 2:36, the explosions were heard again.

At 3:15 p.m., Fedorov informed that a fire had broken out on the territory of a Zaporizhzhia enterprise as a result of the Russian attack. The blast wave smashed windows in nearby houses.

Shortly afterward, Fedorov said that Russians had struck at least four times in Zaporizhzhia. Several enterprises were destroyed and fires broke out.

For example, a high-rise building and a dormitory were damaged in the enemy attack on Zaporizhzhia. The blast wave smashed windows in more than 50 apartments. Almost 30 garages in a garage cooperative were also damaged.

Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Consequences of the attack on Odesa

At 5:12 p.m., Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, reported that a 78-year-old woman’s body was found under the rubble, raising the death toll to two.

“A total of 26 people sought medical help. All have received the care they need and are still getting outpatient treatment,” he added.

At 5:18 p.m., the State Emergency Service announced that search and rescue work in Odesa was finished. The Russian attack killed two people and injured 17.

Valentyna Shults, a member of the Odesa Regional Council, told Espreso TV that more than 70 rescuers and 27 pieces of equipment took part in the operation.

“Sadly, the body of the second woman has just been recovered. Her granddaughter was nearby the whole time, calling for her grandmother, but there was no miracle. This attack, like previous ones on Odesa, aims to terrorize not only the region’s infrastructure but also civilians. The city center and Kyiv district of Odesa suffered the most damage. The enemy is targeting crowded residential areas,” Shults said.

She added that among the wounded were a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl.

"Odesa and the district, take cover! The enemy is attacking with attack drones," Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, wrote at 4:36 a.m.

At 5:24, Kiper said that Russians massively attacked Odesa. There are destructions, fires and damage to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, an inclusive center, a preschool, and garages.

Later, the Odesa Military Administration clarified that at least five wounded, including one child, are currently known.

As of 6:30 a.m., 13 people were hospitalized. There may be people under the rubble. The liquidation of the consequences of the Russian attack continues.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as of the morning, one person was killed in Odesa. The head of the Regional Military Administration added that the body of a 60-year-old woman was found under the rubble. Search efforts are currently underway for another missing woman.

As of 9:00 a.m., 17 people were injured in Odesa as a result of the Russian morning attack, including a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl. One person has been hospitalized, while the others are continuing outpatient treatment after receiving medical assistance.

Explosions in Chernihiv

At 03:32 a.m., Suspilne reported an explosion in Chernihiv. Shortly after, head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration Dmytro Bryzhynskyi confirmed that a cruise missile explosion had been recorded on the outskirts of the city.

By morning, the regional military administration reported that Russian forces had also attacked a village in the Pryluky district using a drone. A two-story residential building was hit.

The blast damaged the roof, shattered windows, destroyed garages, and damaged several cars. A 38-year-old woman sustained minor injuries and received necessary medical assistance.

Additionally, a cruise missile struck a residential neighborhood in Chernihiv, damaging homes and outbuildings. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties.