Death toll in Russian strike on Kyiv rises to 24, including three children

The death toll from a massive Russian attack on Kyiv has climbed to 24, including three children, as the Ukrainian capital declared Friday a day of mourning following one of the war's deadliest strikes on the city.

Ukrainians holding flowers sit at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, 15 May 2026, amid the Russian invasion. Kyiv's mayor has declared 15 May a day of mourning to honor the victims of the Russian combined attack on 14 May. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the attack killed at least 24 people, in

EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) confirmed the updated toll Friday after rescue workers cleared more than 3,000 cubic meters of debris from a destroyed residential building. Forty-eight people were wounded and nearly 400 received psychological assistance. Search and rescue operations concluded after more than 28 hours.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared Friday a day of mourning, ordering flags on public buildings lowered to half-staff and all entertainment events canceled.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday evening that a nine-story apartment block was likely struck by a Kh-101 cruise missile, with components Russia obtained in circumvention of international sanctions. He ordered the armed forces and security services to propose measures for responding to large-scale attacks of this kind.

The assault, which lasted nearly two days, involved more than 1,560 drones since Wednesday, Zelensky said. The most recent overnight wave alone comprised more than 670 strike drones and 56 missiles.

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Source: Polish Radio, PAP