'Most massive' Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 18

Russian forces launched a major drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, killing 18 people, in what the city's mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, described as the "most massive attack" on the Ukrainian capital. Klitschko declared Friday a day of mourning and said around 90 people were injured. He stated an ambulance station was among the places hit in the strikes.

Although previous attacks have killed more people, this latest barrage deployed the largest number of weapons on the capital and hit locations over a very wide area of Kyiv. Several neighborhoods were evacuated as strikes rocked buildings throughout the city. Moscow said its forces hit what they called military plants in retaliation against attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia would "continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals". Ukraine accused Moscow of targeting civilian areas. Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said children were among the "significant number" of casualties. Among the places hit were a high-rise apartment building in south-east Kyiv. Klitschko said rescuers were trying to find, among others, a 15-year-old girl and her family.