By Jaroslav Lukiv, BBC News – Reporting from Kyiv

A powerful overnight barrage of Russian drones and missiles struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring 16 more, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed.

The large-scale assault, which targeted the capital with 18 missiles and nearly 400 drones, left a trail of destruction. Residential buildings, warehouses, offices, and vehicles were damaged, and fires broke out across several districts of the city.

Authorities in Kyiv reported that drone debris hit the roof of an apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, while other residential areas were also struck. The relentless air raid, which lasted for around three hours, kept residents awake as explosions echoed across the city and air defences lit up the night sky.

In the Podilsky district, a local healthcare centre suffered near-total destruction. A 68-year-old woman and a 22-year-old police officer stationed at a metro platform were confirmed among the dead.

Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko urged residents to remain in shelters until air raid alerts ended and advised them to keep windows shut afterward due to the heavy smoke lingering in the air.

This latest attack followed what Ukraine said was the largest aerial offensive of the war just two days earlier, during which over 700 drones and a dozen missiles were launched across the country.

Ukraine’s national police said drone attacks hit eight separate districts within Kyiv early Thursday. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, said fires were burning in numerous locations.

Elsewhere, three civilians were killed in Kostiantynivka, a front-line town in eastern Ukraine, following a Russian airstrike, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has resumed the delivery of some critical weapons systems to Ukraine, including air defence supplies, after a brief pause. President Zelensky urged international partners to accelerate sanctions and expand weapons production to counter what he called an escalation of Russian “terror.”

“It’s crucial to act faster,” Zelensky said. “We need more investment in defence technologies and drone interceptors. Russia must feel the cost of its aggression.”

A shopping mall in Kyiv was also reported damaged in the attacks, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the strikes.

The likelihood of a diplomatic resolution appears increasingly distant. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that all diplomatic avenues with Moscow had been “exhausted.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed a similar sentiment earlier in the week.

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking candidly, expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin: “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin. He’s polite, but it means nothing.” Peskov brushed off the remarks, describing Trump’s rhetoric as typically blunt.

Despite frequent communications between the two leaders, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have stalled. Although Trump previously claimed he could end the war within a day, no concrete progress has been made. While he has threatened sanctions on Russia since taking office in January, none have yet been implemented.

A bipartisan bill currently moving through the U.S. Congress seeks to impose penalties on nations, including China and India, that continue purchasing Russian energy. Trump has suggested he may back the measure.

International focus has returned to military support and punitive measures. European leaders are drafting a new sanctions package, while a 77-nation conference on Ukraine’s recovery begins Thursday in Rome. The growing intensity of Russian drone warfare is expected to be high on the agenda, alongside airspace protection strategies.

Later in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a summit in Malaysia—potentially offering another diplomatic test.

The war began in February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Over two years on, the destruction and loss of life continue to mount with no end in sight.