Russia launches night attack on Ukraine, striking Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and more

Key points:

• Since the evening, the Russian units have launched groups of drones across Ukraine;
• Overnight, Russia scrambled MiG-31K aircraft twice;
• In Kyiv, a medical facility was damaged, with one fatality and several injured;
• In the Kyiv region, nearly a dozen houses were damaged, and the body of a man was found;
• In Chernihiv, ballistic missile and drone attacks caused fires at a garage cooperative and a private house;
• In Slavutych, Russia targeted energy infrastructure.

What Russia is using

On Sunday evening, January 4, the enemy launched attack drones against Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, groups of drones were first detected around 8:25 p.m. Kyiv time, initially in Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, and later in other areas.

In addition, at approximately 1:35 a.m. and 2:16 a.m., the enemy scrambled MiG-31K aircraft, which carry Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. However, no missile launches have been officially recorded.

Meanwhile, at 2:12 a.m. and 2:32 a.m., the military detected high-speed targets over the Chernihiv region heading toward the Kyiv region. Monitoring channels clarified that these were ballistic missiles. In the capital itself, no missile explosions were reported, but it later became clear that the ballistic missiles were headed for a different city.

Monitoring channels also reported that Russia scrambled strategic Tu-95MS bombers. According to these sources, the aircraft were heading to launch positions, though this information has not yet been officially confirmed.

Which cities is Russia attacking and what are the initial reported impacts

Kyiv

According to the Kyiv City State Administration, an air raid alert was issued in Kyiv during the first scramble of the MiG-31K aircraft. However, the alarm did not stop after the planes landed, as the capital was already under threat from drone attacks.

The Kyiv region officials reported that at 1:20 a.m., drones were detected in the region, and air defense forces were active. By 2:30 a.m., the sound of anti-aircraft systems could be heard directly in the city. Mayor Vitalii Klitschko confirmed the situation:

“Air defense forces are operating in the capital. Stay in shelters,” he wrote at 2:50 a.m. Kyiv time.

A short time later, Kyiv City State Administration head Tymur Tkachenko reported that a fire broke out in the capital’s Obolonskyi district.

Updated at 03:55

Obolonskyi District Head Kyrylo Fesyk stated that a private medical facility was damaged as a result of the Russian attack.

Meanwhile, Tkachenko reported that an evacuation is underway in the Obolonskyi district for people from the damaged building.

Updated at 05:15

An RBC-Ukraine correspondent arrived at the site of the attack in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district and shared photos of the damaged private medical center.

Photo: Russia damaged a private medical center

Photo: Russia damaged a private medical center

Photo: Russia damaged a private medical center

Photo: Russia damaged a private medical center

Photo: Russia damaged a private medical center

Casualties and injuries

As of 03:46 Kyiv time, the Kyiv City State Administration head reported that one person had died in the capital due to the Russian attack. Earlier, he had noted that one woman was injured.

Updated at 04:42

The number of injured in the capital has risen to two, Tkachенко reported.

Update at 07:25

Kyiv police reported that the number of injured in the capital has risen to three, and the deceased is a man born in 1995.

At the same time, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko stated that of the 26 patients at the private clinic in the Obolon district, which was hit in the Russian attack, 16 were transferred to municipal hospitals in the capital. Two of the three injured have been hospitalized in serious condition.

Kyiv region

Russia carried out a massive overnight attack on the Kyiv region. Residential buildings and vehicles were damaged, and one person was killed. The head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, reported on Telegram that the region was heavily attacked during the night.

According to him, a man born in 1951 was killed in the Fastiv district. His body was found while firefighters were extinguishing a blaze in his own home.

“As of now, seven private houses and one apartment building, garages, two vehicles, as well as industrial and warehouse facilities have been damaged in the Fastiv district,” the statement said.

Chernihiv

Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration, reported that the city was attacked not only by drones but also by ballistic missiles:

“The enemy is attacking a local enterprise with ballistic missiles and UAVs,” he wrote.

He later clarified that, as a result of the Russian attack, fires broke out in one of the city’s garage cooperatives and in a private house in a nearby community.

Slavutych

The city of Slavutych in the Kyiv region was also reportedly targeted. According to Mayor Yurii Fomichev, the attack hit energy infrastructure:

“The enemy is attacking energy facilities. As soon as the security situation allows, power engineers will begin restoration work; after that, there will be a clearer understanding of the consequences. In the morning, we will deploy resilience points,” he reported.

Updated at 04:30

The head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, confirmed that the city of Slavutych has been left without power. All critical infrastructure facilities have been switched to backup power supplies. The city continues to have heating and water.

Other cities

During the night of January 4–5, several explosions were also reported in Kharkiv and Poltava. Before this, drones were detected in both regions.

At this time, no confirmed information about casualties or damage in Kharkiv and Poltava has been reported.

The report was prepared using data from the Air Force and information provided by local authorities.