Tuesday 15 September 2026
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Russia kills at least 12 in sixth consecutive day of heavy strikes on Kyiv

EU foreign policy chief says Moscow is targeting civilians as ground war stalls

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By LineZotpaper
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Russia bombarded the Ukrainian capital for more than 12 hours overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least a dozen people in an unprecedented sixth straight day of heavy aerial attacks on Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. The strikes, which targeted eight other regions as well, wounded more than a dozen people including three children, just as millions of schoolchildren returned to classes for the new school year.

The consecutive aerial assaults are designed to grind down civilians by disrupting daily life, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks employed cruise and ballistic missiles, jet-powered drones, glide bombs and artillery salvos.

Among the dead were six employees of state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, killed when a ballistic missile hit a depot and other property, company Chairman Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in a social media post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the dead also included an Indian citizen, and that nearly 350 emergency workers were deployed.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking at a meeting of the bloc's defence ministers in Ireland, said Russia's war is becoming more ruthless and destructive. "Russia's army is bogged down on the ground, and that is why they are killing civilians from the skies," she said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces carried out a "massive strike" on Ukraine with "precision-guided weapons" and long-range drones, targeting facilities that manufacture and store weapons, as well as military-related infrastructure.

Ukraine's air force said the attack began at 6pm Monday local time, using ballistic, cruise and anti-radar missiles, as well as 218 drones and decoys. About a third of the drones were jet-powered, making them much harder to intercept. The main targets were in the Kyiv and southern regions.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The sustained air campaign directly threatens civilian life and critical infrastructure in Ukraine's capital, disrupting daily routines and the new school year.
  • With Russia making little progress on the ground, the strategy of aerial intimidation aims to erode Ukrainian morale and Western support.
  • The use of jet-powered drones and diverse missile types illustrates an evolving threat that challenges Ukrainian air defence capabilities.

Background

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than 4.5 years ago, in February 2022. Since then, the war has seen periods of intense ground fighting and regular missile and drone barrages against cities far from the front lines. The current six-day bombardment of Kyiv is unprecedented in its consecutive intensity. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is deliberately targeting civilians to break the nation's will, while Russia maintains it strikes only military objectives.

Key Perspectives

Ukrainian officials: The attacks are designed to grind down civilians by disrupting daily life and are aimed at menacing the population. President Zelenskyy highlighted the humanitarian toll, including the death of a foreign national. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas: Russia's army is bogged down on the ground, so it is killing civilians from the skies. The war is becoming more ruthless but is not closer to ending. Russian Defense Ministry: The strikes were a "massive strike" with precision-guided weapons that targeted facilities manufacturing and storing weapons, as well as military-related infrastructure — not civilian areas.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Russian air campaign maintains its intensity or shifts focus to other Ukrainian cities.
  • Any new Western military aid packages, particularly for air defence systems.
  • The condition of Ukraine's energy grid and railway infrastructure after repeated strikes.
  • Possible diplomatic moves, as the EU defence ministers meeting may discuss further support.

Sources

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Articles published under the Zotpaper byline are synthesized from multiple source publications by our AI editor and reviewed by our editorial process. Each story combines reporting from credible outlets to give readers a balanced, comprehensive view.

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