June 17 terrorist attack Kyiv: Direct Hit on Residential Building

June 18, 2025December 7, 2025

On the night of June 17, 2025, russian military launched a massive missile strike on Ukrainian cities. They used strike drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles (Kinzhal, Kalibr, Kh-59/Kh-69, Kh-101, and Kh-31P). The June 17 terrorist attack Kyiv targeted multiple regions with unprecedented brutality.

The russian attack hit Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, and Kyiv Oblast. The night terrorist attack with over 440 drones and 32 missiles killed 28 people in Kyiv and 2 in Odesa. 134 people sustained injuries.

Eight Hours of Hell

Air raid alert in Kyiv lasted almost 8 hours. They announced it on June 16 at 9:14 PM and canceled it the next morning at 6:06 AM. Powerful explosions echoed throughout the city all night long. As of 2:30 AM, authorities recorded the consequences of russia’s strike at 12 locations in Solomianskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, Podilskyi, and Obolonskyi districts of the capital.

In Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, an Kh-101 missile completely destroyed the entrance of a 9-story building. Debris clearing and searches for the missing continued all night and resumed on the morning of June 18. Throughout the day, rescuers worked at 15 locations. Authorities deployed a large amount of rescue equipment and 2 DSNS helicopters to eliminate the consequences of russian strikes.

Direct Hit on Residential Building

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported they destroyed the entire entrance — 30 apartments:

This entrance was destroyed down to the basement premises because it was a direct hit. Also across Kyiv there were hits on educational institutions and infrastructure facilities. So we’re now establishing these consequences and documenting them.

KCMA Head Tymur Tkachenko believes the russians deliberately launched the missile at residential buildings:

The nature of the damage — direct targeting of residential buildings. With missiles — from the upper floors to the basement. This building collapsed completely, it was a direct hit by a ballistic missile. And we can say that people who survived here — it’s a miracle. Right now the main thing is to unblock people, and then we’ll understand what the damages are. First the DSNS works, and then we’ll conduct an examination of the building and whether the building can be restored. Up to 30 people were evacuated here and most of them were hospitalized.

Cluster Munitions Against Civilians

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko reported that russian forces used missiles with cluster munitions during the attack on Kyiv. Such missiles cannot penetrate something fortified, for example an energy facility or military object. These clusters can kill as many people as possible.

By death toll, the terrorist attack on June 17 became the most terrible terrorist attack on Kyiv since the strike on Okhmatdyt children’s hospital on July 8, 2024. Back then, 33 people died in several districts of the capital.