In a move that can only be described as 'aggressively unoriginal,' Russia has once again treated Kyiv to a late-night ballistic missile and drone extravaganza, killing at least 14 people and injuring 22 others in one of the deadliest strikes on the Ukrainian capital this year.

The attack kicked off just after midnight on Wednesday, prompting Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, to note with characteristic understatement that 'the enemy is once again massively attacking the Kyiv region.' Air raid alerts blared for over an hour as waves of missiles pounded the city and its outskirts, damaging residential buildings and warehouses - because nothing says 'military precision' like targeting civilian storage.

Tkachenko confirmed the grim tally: nine dead in the Boryspil district, four in Bucha, and one in Fastiv. Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko expressed fears that people might be trapped under rubble, adding that four of the injured are in serious condition. The city's military administration accused Russia of 'deliberately striking civilians and civilian infrastructure,' a charge Russia denies - probably while checking its missile stockpile.

Ukraine, for its part, has been politely asking allies for more US-made Patriot missile interceptors, because apparently dodging Russian missiles is a team sport. Russia's defence ministry, however, claims it was just hitting logistics hubs and supply centres involved in the storage and delivery of weapons, as well as the production and distribution of unmanned aerial vehicles. It also boasted of striking three cargo vessels near the Black Sea port of Odesa, allegedly transporting weapons - though the fish might disagree.

This tit-for-tat has escalated recently, with Ukraine also targeting Russian civilian infrastructure, including power facilities and warehouses - notably those of e-commerce giant Wildberries, where five people were killed and 10 wounded near Moscow on Tuesday. The day before, Russian officials reported seven dead and 58 injured after a drone hit a beach in the Krasnodar region. And Ukraine expressed outrage over a video showing a man chased by a drone in Kherson, calling it a deliberate 'hunt' and 'safari.' Both sides deny targeting civilians, which is comforting - especially for the civilians.

As the strikes continue, one thing is clear: the only thing more predictable than Russian ballistic missiles is the mutual denial of responsibility.