Ukrainian airstrike kill at least five people in Russia’s Kursk region

Russian authorities have reported the deaths of five individuals following a Ukrainian airstrike on the western Kursk region.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials revealed that Moscow launched a fresh missile barrage on Kyiv, damaging a building housing several embassies.

In Russia, the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, confirmed that nine others were hospitalized after the attack on Rylsk, a town located approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Khinshtein stated that the strike, which occurred at 3:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) on Friday, caused damage to a cultural center, a fitness facility, a school, and residential homes. Initial reports indicated six fatalities, including a child.

However, in an audio update posted on Telegram on Saturday morning, Khinshtein revised the casualty figures, confirming five deaths.

“There were no children among those [killed],” he said.

Ukrainian forces continue to hold portions of Russia’s Kursk region following a surprise cross-border offensive initiated in early August.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign ministry reported that a Russian missile strike on Kyiv had impacted several diplomatic missions, including those of Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal, and Montenegro. It remains unclear whether the embassies were specifically targeted in the attack on the Ukrainian capital.

The strike resulted in at least one death and nine injuries, according to Ukraine’s military, and caused significant damage to several buildings in the city. No injuries among embassy staff have been reported.

In a verified video from Kyiv’s Pecherskyi District, the St. Nicholas Cathedral, the city’s second-oldest Roman Catholic church, is seen with shattered windows due to a nearby explosion.

Ukraine’s military stated that Russia had launched 65 drones and missiles across the country overnight, most of which were intercepted.

In Kyiv, a restaurant owner whose business was severely damaged expressed his anger in a widely shared video, calling the Russians “beasts” as he stood before the charred remnants of his building.

Another resident, Oksana, shared images with the Vivid Voice News of her destroyed apartment, showing shattered windows and debris strewn across the floors.

“I don’t understand how I survived,” she said.

“My balcony flew away, half my walls are gone. My neighbour is in such shock she can’t even speak. I have no words for the people who did this.”

A local journalist at the scene reported to the BBC that one of the buildings near the strike site had been associated with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and was likely the intended target. However, much of the visible damage affected surrounding residential buildings.

The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the attack, stating that it had launched missiles at an SBU “command post” in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a chemical plant in Russia’s Rostov Region two days earlier.

Speculation in Kyiv suggests Friday’s strikes could also be linked to the recent death of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in Moscow on Tuesday, further adding to tensions.

The attack came just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s year-end press conference, where he threatened additional missile strikes on Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern over the potential use of Moscow’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, which was recently test-fired on the city of Dnipro.

On Friday morning, an air alert was issued in Kyiv following reports of a possible Oreshnik missile launch, prompting authorities to urge residents to seek shelter urgently. Fortunately, the warning turned out to be a false alarm.