Russia launched a massive demonstrative missile and drone attack on Kyiv and twelve other regions across Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, October 22, killing at least nine people and injuring 56 others nationwide, The Kyiv Independent reported. The overnight bombardment struck the Ukrainian capital just hours after President Vladimir Putin agreed to resume trilateral peace talks following a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to reporting by The Guardian and CNN.
Ballistic Strikes and Air Defense Metrics in Kyiv
The capital absorbed the brunt of the overnight assault, enduring multiple waves of ballistic and drone attacks. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Moscow deployed 210 drones of various types—including 110 jet-powered models—alongside Iskander-M, S-400, Zircon, and Onyx missiles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 181 of the incoming drones, but strikes were still recorded across 32 separate locations in Kyiv.
The bombardment targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including a southern bridge over the Dnipro River, an ambulance station, residential housing, energy facilities, office buildings, and a monastery. CNN noted that a cluster warhead struck central Kyiv during the barrage. The human toll in the capital climbed to at least two dead and 22 wounded, among them four children, with city authorities confirming 24 total injuries from the overnight strikes.
I had a good call with Canada's FM @AnitaAnandMP. I briefed my colleague on the consequences of Russia’s latest missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure. We discussed ongoing peace efforts and the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s air… pic.twitter.com/ohKJXCe35e
Witkoff Calls Putin a Humanitarian Before Military Escalation
The timing of the military escalation followed a three-hour diplomatic meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff. During the talks, Witkoff praised the Russian leader following the release of a detained American citizen, telling Putin, You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that,
as reported by The Guardian.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a sardonic response to the diplomatic praise on social media after the air raid sirens sounded. Three waves of ballistic missiles have been launched at Kyiv by Russian ‘humanitarians’ since yesterday evening. They used 21 missiles,
Zelenskyy wrote. He added that the attacks demonstrated the Kremlin’s unchanging attitude toward the conflict, stating that almost immediately after another round of talks, Russia launched a pointed attack. This means there has been no real change in its attitude toward everything that is happening.
There were reports on efforts to deal with the aftermath of Russian attacks on our cities and communities.Overnight, Russia used, among other weapons, three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads against Kyiv. These missiles are designed to detonate in the air as they… pic.twitter.com/IG45sUYdqj
Regional Casualties and Supply Lines Under Strain
In Kharkiv Oblast, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that one person was killed and 15 others, including three children, were injured by strikes on Kharkiv and eleven surrounding settlements. A separate attack struck a central market in the city of Lozova, killing two more people as they shopped. Additional fatalities and injuries were recorded by local governors in Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv regions.
Meanwhile, diplomatic and logistical alignments continued to shift. The Financial Times reported—and TVP World noted—that NATO will permit Ukraine to purchase weapons, ammunition, and military equipment directly through its centralized procurement agency, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Jacqueline Borsboom, the NSPA director of support to operations, stated that the arrangement offers Kyiv a structured framework to leverage procurement expertise, support services, and industrial base access.
Ukrainian Soldiers Attack Russian Lines via Underground Pipelines
Amid the aerial bombardment, details emerged regarding a novel Ukrainian counterattack. Brig Gen Ihor Obolienskyi, commander of the Khartia corps, detailed Operation Veles, which involved Ukrainian soldiers crawling 15 kilometers through underground gas pipelines without communication, GPS, or light. The operation resulted in approximately 100 Russian soldiers killed and 30 taken prisoner in enemy rear lines.
Looking ahead to formal diplomatic tracks, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov announced that Putin agreed in principle
to resume three-way negotiations involving Russia, the US, and Ukraine after November 10, following the US midterm elections. Ushakov suggested that Abu Dhabi could host the next round of talks to discuss a post-conflict security framework.
Three waves of ballistic missiles have been launched at Kyiv by Russian “humanitarians” since yesterday evening. They used 21 missiles. Unfortunately, numerous sites across the city have been hit and damaged: ordinary residential buildings, energy facilities, infrastructure at… pic.twitter.com/zkb9mToCs3
More on Russia
Overnight, Kyiv residents heard what Russian "humanism" truly sounds like: a brutal attack with dozens of ballistic missiles striking energy infrastructure, medical facilities, shopping centers, and residential areas. Other cities across Ukraine came under attack as well.… pic.twitter.com/paZUHnyP85
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