Father and young son die in Russian air attack on Kyiv

A father and son have died in Russia's latest air attack near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. (AP PHOTO)

A four-year-old boy and his 35-year-old father have been killed in an overnight Russian air strike outside of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say.

Three other people, including a teenage boy, were wounded in the attack just east of the capital, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said involved a North Korean-made missile.

He did not offer further detail but Ukrainian emergency services earlier said the victims' home in the Brovary district was struck by debris from a downed Russian missile.

Footage posted by Ukraine's State Emergency Service showed workers digging through a pile of debris in the darkness and lifting the body of a child from underneath it.

"According to preliminary information, the Russians used a North Korean missile in this attack - yet another deliberate terrorist strike against Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on X, adding that experts were still examining the weapon.

Moscow's overnight strike also included 57 Iranian-made attack drones that were launched across Ukraine, 53 of which were destroyed by air defences, Kyiv's air force said.

It said Russia had fired a total of four North Korean-made KN-23 missiles but did not specify the fate of the other three.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Zelenskiy's top adviser had earlier said the Brovary fatalities were the result of a downed drone.

Bombed out car in Russia
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has acknowledged Ukrainian forces' surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk.

Zelenskiy, in his statement, called for "a full-fledged air shield" from Ukraine's partners and permission to strike deep inside Russia with Western-provided weapons.

There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Moscow denies targeting civilians but has targeted critical infrastructure beyond the front line of its 29-month-old invasion that has killed thousands and displaced millions of Ukrainians.

Zelenskiy acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian forces were fighting in the surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk, as the border region's authorities rushed to evacuate civilians from areas at risk.

Moscow's forces are in their sixth day of intense battles against Kyiv's largest incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war, which left southwest parts of Russia vulnerable.

In a sign of the gravity of the situation, Moscow imposed a sweeping security regime in three border regions on Saturday, while ally Belarus sent more troops to its border with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of violating its air space.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he had discussed the operation with top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, vowing to restore justice after Russia launched a full-scale aggression on its smaller neighbour in February 2022.

"Today, I received several reports from commander-in-chief Syrskyi regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor's territory," he said.

"Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor."

Russian President Vladimir Putin cast the Ukrainian attack - which military analysts say caught the Kremlin off-guard - as a major provocation.

Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, said on Wednesday the attacks had been halted, but Russia has failed to push the Ukrainian forces back over the border.

Russia says its air defence units destroyed 14 Ukraine-launched drones and four Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles over the Kursk region

Sixteen drones were downed over the Voronezh region, several hundred kilometres south of Moscow, and three drones over the border Belgorod region, it said.

One drone each was destroyed over the Bryansk and Orlov regions, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store