16 killed in Russian attack on Kyiv

(Patriia) - Russia launched waves of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv before dawn, killing 16 people, including two children, and wounding more than 100 others, authorities in the Ukrainian capital announced.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier in his evening video address that the death toll was 14 and said rescue operations were ongoing into the evening.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that more than 1,200 police officers and rescuers are working to address the consequences of the attack.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service announced that the death toll rose to 16 after another body was pulled from the rubble. Zelenskyy said dozens of injured people are still in hospitals.

The Emergency Service stated that 16 children were among the injured, the largest number of injured children in a single attack on the city since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly three and a half years ago.

In an earlier Telegram post, Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 300 drones and eight missiles.

"Today, the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace. That is why peace without strength is impossible," said the Ukrainian president.

City authorities announced a day of mourning to be held on Friday.

Russia has intensified air strikes on Ukrainian cities and towns far from the front lines in recent months. Thousands of civilians, the vast majority of them Ukrainians, have been killed since Moscow invaded in 2022.