A KINDERGARTEN was destroyed by one of Vladimir Putin’s missiles in another ruthless strike that laid bare the tyrant’s war on Ukraine’s children.

The missile slammed into the building in Kyiv — leaving a gaping crater where toddlers once played and naptime beds buried under dust.

Heartbreaking images from nursery and kindergarten N706 in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district revealed the shattered remains of what was once a bright and joyful sanctuary.

Tiny beds with purple throws turned grey as they were coated in ash.

Fire-blackened doors hanging from their hinges.

Walls once painted with fairytale castles and smiling flowers are now just a faint reminder of brighter, peaceful days.

A broken window now frames a colourful wall drawing, eerily untouched by the chaos around it.

Outside, the light blue walls of the school still stand, but windows have been blasted out and debris now chokes the floor and stairways.

A man is seen carefully sweeping glass shards from a windowsill.

Meanwhile, a woman walks her dog past the wreckage as a little girl stands, silent, beside her — staring at the ruins of the school.

The strike was a part of a 10-hour Russian aerial blitz that saw 426 drones and 24 missiles hurled across Ukraine overnight.

Kyiv bore the brunt of the assault, as explosions lit up the capital’s skyline, forcing families underground once again.

The missile that hit the kindergarten came as Mad Vlad unleashed yet another wave of destruction across civilian areas.

It marked the second time in three days that NATO fighter jets were scrambled in response to the bombardments.

Ukrainian officials said at least 15 people were injured, including a 12-year-old boy, in the barrage.

Subway stations turned into makeshift shelters as drones buzzed through the air above Kyiv.

Homes and commercial buildings were caught in the onslaught, with rescuers racing between four districts to sift through wreckage and aid the wounded.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed recovery, saying: “Rescue and emergency efforts are underway in our cities and communities following the Russian attack…

“The waves of attacks lasted all night and continued into the morning.”

The strikes came amid growing fears that Putin is preparing for an even deadlier chapter in this war.

According to German Major General Christian Freuding, Moscow is plotting a mass drone assault involving 2,000 Shahed drones, in a bid to overwhelm Ukraine’s already strained air defences.

The general warned: “We have uncovered worrying intelligence… [Russia is] significantly expanding its weapons production capacity.”

Chilling footage aired on Russian state TV showed teenagers working in a so-called “drone death factory,” with Moscow boasting about the “huge, bright workshops” churning out kamikaze drones by the hundreds.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has not remained passive.

Kyiv’s own drone army valiantly struck Moscow for the fifth night in a row, wreaking havoc at major airports and delaying over 400 flights as Russia’s defences scrambled to respond.