Efforts to clear debris and recover from the June 17 strike continue in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district

Following the Russian missile strike on Kyiv on June 17, the largest fire broke out in the Darnytskyi district, covering approximately 10,000 square meters. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by the morning of June 18, but as of Thursday, June 19, debris removal was still ongoing.

“The fire was extinguished yesterday morning. But because of the large area, there are still many destroyed structures. We need to clear the rubble and douse the charred remains,” emergency services spokeswoman Svitlana Vodolaha said.

She also noted that the rescue operation at the site of the missile strike on a nine-story residential building in the Solomianskyi district lasted 39 hours. That effort has now concluded, and residents are being allowed to retrieve belongings from the damaged building.

Russian attack on Kyiv on June 17

On June 17, Russian invaders launched a large-scale combined assault on Kyiv using 16 cruise missiles, two Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and dozens of UAVs. Damage was reported in multiple districts of the capital, with the Solomyanskyi district hit the hardest. A Kh-101 missile struck a residential high-rise building there.

Rescue operations continued through the evening of June 18. Authorities confirmed 28 people were killed and another 140 injured. The youngest victim was a 22-year-old man; the oldest was 91.

It was the deadliest attack on Kyiv since July 8, 2024, when a missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital and surrounding areas killed 33 people.

In total, Russia targeted Ukraine with 472 aerial threats on June 17. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or neutralized 402 of 440 drones and 26 of 32 missiles, including both Kinzhal missiles.