Ukraine and Russia have both reported drones over their capital cities – with Kyiv’s residents warned of a tough night ahead.
Sunday 25 May 2025 01:01, UK
We’ll be back soon with the latest from the battlefield and the diplomatic sphere.
Before we go, here’s a quick recap of today’s main developments:
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, has told residents of the Ukrainian capital to stay safe in shelters amid the ongoing Russian attack.
He said: “Explosions in the city.
“Air defense forces are working.
“The capital is under attack by enemy UAVs.
“Do not neglect your safety! Stay in shelters!”
We’ll continue to bring you the latest from this, so stick with us.
Kyiv’s military administration has released some more news on the drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
“The night will be difficult,” the authority warned.
It added that there was already confirmed damage to one building, and a fire had broken out.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, said it had been caused by drone fragments hitting the apartment building.
Rescuers were said to be on the scene.
In a post on Telegram, the authority added: “Targets are still entering the capital.
“There is a threat that the enemy will use a large number of drones and missiles from strategic aircraft.”
We just reported Russian claims of Ukrainian drones over various parts of the country, including Moscow (see the post below).
Now, Ukraine has said there are drones over its own capital city.
A senior official said there are more than 10 over Kyiv, with more coming.
Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, warned “the night will be difficult” in a post on social media app Telegram.
“There is a threat that the enemy will use a large number of drones and missiles from strategic aircraft,” it added.
At the same time, Ukraine’s air force has warned residents to “stay in safe places”, with drones “over the city”.
Last night, Ukraine said Russia launched 250 drones at Kyiv, with another 14 missiles. At least 15 people were injured, officials said.
Russia has reported a wave of drones heading towards Moscow.
In a statement made by the capital city’s mayor, six Ukrainian drones were said to have been on their way.
He said they have all been destroyed.
“Another drone flying toward Moscow has been destroyed by the Defence Ministry’s air defence forces,” Sergei Sobyanin said on social media app Telegram.
“Emergency services are working at the site of the crash.”
The defence ministry said air defence units downed 95 drones over a four-hour period.
These were detected and destroyed mostly over Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol regions, which are all relatively near to the Ukrainian border, they added.
The ministry said two were shot down over Moscow.
Russian attacks on Ukraine are reported almost every night, with residents across the country braced for another potential wave of attacks over the coming hours.
In the past hour, Ukraine’s air force has warned of drones near Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Dnipro, among other regions.
Last night saw a huge attack on Kyiv, involving 250 drones and 14 missiles, according to Ukrainian officials.
At least 15 people were injured, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Moscow of filling “each day with horror and murder”.
Separately, 13 civilians were killed overnight in Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s south, east and north, regional authorities said.
Three died in a missile attack on port infrastructure in Odesa, the local governor said – a strike Russia later said hit a cargo ship carrying military equipment.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces struck various military targets across Ukraine. These, he said, included missile and drone-producing plants, a reconnaissance centre and a launch site for anti-aircraft missiles.
A Ukrainian diplomat has said his friend lost 60kg in captivity.
As hundreds of prisoners are swapped as part of what’s expected to be the largest exchange of its kind since Russia began the war, Olexander Scherba shared a message from someone he said was held by Russian forces.
“Each day, we had a couple of minutes to eat something very s****y and very hot from a bucket,” he said, citing his friend.
“Ever tried eating very fast something very hot when your teeth wobble and gums bleed? That’s on top of everything else.”
His report has not been independently verified, and no other details have been given.
Donald Trump veered into politics during a speech to US military cadets today – taking a clear swipe at NATO once again in the process.
During remarks meant to congratulate cadets graduating from West Point Military Academy in New York, Trump said: “We’ve been ripped off by every nation in the world on trade. We’ve been ripped off at the NATO level.”
He added: “We’ve been ripped off like no country has ever been ripped off, but they don’t rip us off anymore.”
Wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat, he also took credit for the might of the US military, which has long been considered the strongest in the world.
“You will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known,” he said, addressing graduating cadets.
“And I know, because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.”
He went on to say they’re “getting rid of distractions” and focusing on what he called a “core mission” – “crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before”.
“The job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures,” he added, a reference to drag shows on military bases that President Joe Biden’s administration halted after Republican criticism.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared a video message on social media, once again calling for sanctions on Russia.
Referencing Moscow’s massive attack on Kyiv overnight, he said Russia “fills each day with horror and murder” and is “simply dragging out the war”.
“All of this demands a response – a strong response from the United States, from Europe, and from everyone in the world who wants this war to end,” he added.
Every day “gives new grounds for sanctions against Russia”, he said, and each day without pressure proves the “war will continue”.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is ready for “any form of diplomacy that delivers real results”.
“We are ready for all steps that can guarantee true security,” he added.
“It is Russia that is not ready for anything.”
As Kyiv reels from Russia’s massive overnight attack, some residents in the Ukrainian capital feel lucky to still be alive.
Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, 22-year-old business development manager Mykyta Kruchan said Russia’s latest attack – said to involve 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles – was “terrorism”.
Ukrainian officials have said 15 people were injured.
Kruchan told the news outlet: “What Ukraine does [is that] we shoot their military buildings, military stuff, centres… but here, it’s not an adequate reply to me.
“All they [Russia] do is on purpose.”
His parents live in the Obolonskyi district, which was hit by a drone, and their flat was lucky not to be damaged, he added.
Factory worker Olha, 42, said she was away when her home was hit – but her two daughters, 13 and 20, were there.
“The children called when the apartment was hit,” she said.
“They gathered things, closed the door… they are alive, they just inhaled too much smoke.”
The apartment is in a “terrible state”, she added.
“It’s burning there, it’s impossible to breathe,” she said.
“We can’t really pack up our things, because everything is either burned, stuck together, or damaged in such a way that it’s impossible to use.”
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