KYIV — Ukrainian air defence forces intercepted dozens of Russian Shahed drones and cruise missiles in a sustained overnight assault on Kyiv and surrounding regions, officials from the Ukrainian Air Force said Monday morning, describing the strike as one of the largest coordinated barrages of 2026. The attack came hours after air raid sirens sent residents scrambling to shelters across the capital, an incident that drew widespread international attention over the weekend after accounts emerged of a child caught in the open during a near-miss strike.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the barrage began shortly after midnight local time and lasted for several hours, with drones launched in multiple waves from southern and northeastern directions. Air defence units operating S-300 systems and NATO-supplied Patriot batteries were activated across Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Officials said the majority of incoming projectiles were intercepted, though falling debris caused fires and minor structural damage in at least two Kyiv districts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation in an early-morning video statement, condemning the attack as deliberate targeting of civilian morale and urging Western partners to accelerate deliveries of additional air defence munitions. 'Russia is attempting to break our people by targeting our children and our sleep,' Zelensky said. 'We need more interceptors. The need is urgent and it is now.' His office confirmed that emergency services were working to clear debris and assess damage in affected neighbourhoods.

The assault follows a pattern of intensified Russian aerial attacks timed to weekends and overnight hours, tactics Ukrainian officials say are designed to maximise psychological impact on civilian populations. Western officials, including a spokesperson for NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, expressed concern and reaffirmed alliance support for Ukraine's air defence posture. The European Union's foreign policy chief was expected to convene an emergency call with EU defence ministers later Monday to discuss accelerating promised interceptor missile packages.

In Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Defence issued a brief statement claiming the overnight strikes targeted Ukrainian military infrastructure and logistics nodes, offering no comment on civilian casualties. Independent monitors in Kyiv reported that at least three residential buildings sustained damage from falling debris, and city authorities urged residents to remain near shelter access points through the early afternoon as radar systems tracked residual threats approaching from the east.