Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Sunday, killing at least four people and causing widespread destruction, according to Ukrainian authorities. The assault came after President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation for recent strikes in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.

AFP journalists reported multiple waves of loud explosions across the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of the morning. Ukraine’s air force said the attack involved around 600 drones and 90 missiles.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that two people were killed in the capital, while dozens were injured. He also said another two deaths were recorded in the surrounding Kyiv region.

According to the air force, Ukrainian defences intercepted 549 drones and 55 missiles during the attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia also deployed a nuclear-capable hypersonic “Oreshnik” missile.

He described the strikes as devastating, saying multiple civilian facilities were hit.

“Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools… and he (Putin) launched his ‘Oreshnik’ against Bila Tserkva,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding, “They are genuinely deranged.”

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the use of the Oreshnik missile, saying the strikes were carried out in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. It said other weapons used included Iskander ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles.

The bombardment caused severe disruption across Kyiv, with a residential building near the government district shaking from explosions. Residents were forced to take shelter in metro stations as fires broke out in several areas.

City officials said damage was recorded across all districts of the capital, including strikes on a school that triggered a fire and a business centre where people were reportedly trapped in shelters.

In addition to Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities reported casualties in other regions, including 12 injured in Kharkiv, 11 in Cherkasy, and seven in Dnipropetrovsk.

The attack came amid heightened tensions following a Ukrainian drone strike on Starobilsk in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, which Moscow said killed at least 18 people. Ukraine, however, denied targeting civilians, saying the strike hit a Russian drone unit.

Russian authorities have warned of “inevitable and severe punishment” for those responsible.

Ukrainian officials and the US embassy had earlier warned of a possible major Russian air assault, urging vigilance as signs of escalation emerged.

Russia and Ukraine have both intensified drone and missile attacks in recent months as the war, now in its fourth year, continues with no clear breakthrough in peace negotiations.