Continuous explosions rocked the city of Kyiv overnight and into Thursday morning in the deadliest Russian attack since it began its war with Ukraine more than four years ago.

The strikes left at least 21 dead and 85 wounded, including children. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia used 74 missiles and 496 drones in an attack that damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the country’s capital, while people sheltered in subway stations and other shelters.

Twenty residential buildings sustained damage, with damage recorded in a total of 30 locations, but the Russians claimed they had targeted military infrastructure.

“Russia will continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals,” said Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in answer to a reporter’s question about the European Union’s response, which may include more sanctions on Russia.

“It was a terrible night for Kyiv. The enemy’s most massive attack,” said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in a social media post. “Damage has been reported in all districts of the city. The most significant destruction was suffered by a residential building in the Darnytskyi district. Part of the building was literally blown away.”

“A search and rescue operation is underway. People are being searched for under the rubble. Among them — a 15-year-old girl and her family,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for more help. After expressing gratitude to the United States and Europe for all the aid they had delivered until now and acknowledging the political divisions over the Ukraine war in various countries, he reminded Ukraine’s allies that the lives of innocent people are at stake and asked specifically for Patriot missiles, which he said are desperately needed for air defense.

He also said that the overnight attack shows that the aid is arriving too slowly and blamed political debates for the slow-walking of aid, especially crucial air defenses. He explained that this is a “big problem, because these people lost not only their apartments … they lost their children, their families, their life.”

While saying that he understands that there are “a lot of internal questions in the United States” as well as Europe and that “a lot of different countries live from elections to elections,” and that it’s “very understandable,” he stressed the importance of saving lives.

“The priority is to save lives, Ukrainian lives,” he said.

“Russia is losing,” Zelensky added. “Ukrainians will win this war.”