Russia has launched a large-scale drone airstrike on Ukraine's capital, Kiev, killing six people and injuring at least 35, including a pregnant woman. The explosions caused fires and left huge holes in apartment buildings, while residents experienced moments of terror during the night, notes AP News.
PHOTO: Video Capture / CNN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack involved more than 430 drones and 18 missiles, the heaviest bombardment of Kiev in three weeks. “It was a specially calculated attack to cause as much harm as possible to people and civilians,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
The attack mainly targeted Kiev, but Russian missiles and drones also hit Odesa in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast. In the capital, eight out of ten districts reported major damage. Among the victims are civilians who lost their lives under the rubble of the hit buildings, as well as people injured in the affected apartments. “My neighbor and his father died under the collapsed ceiling. In the apartment next door, a woman over 80 years old died, and her daughter was present. Her body was only recovered after the walls collapsed”said Iryna Synyavska, 62 years old.
Harrowing testimonies also come from survivors. Mariia Kalchenko, 46, said that she did not hear anything before the explosion: “I realized my hair was on fire. I looked around and saw that there was no wall left, the neighbor's apartment was destroyed and flames were coming through the front door.”
Ukraine managed to intercept 14 missiles with American Patriot systems, but Zelenskyy demanded additional deliveries of sophisticated air defense systems. European officials attending a meeting in Berlin reaffirmed support for Kiev, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal participated in the talks remotely.
The bombings also affected the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Kyiv, and President Ilham Aliyev described the incident as “unacceptable”. In Odesa region, drones hit a busy street in Chornomorsk, killing two people and injuring 11, including a 19-month-old girl.
In response, Ukraine carried out its own drone and missile attacks on targets on Russian soil, particularly oil refineries, warehouses and military industrial facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry claims to have shot down 216 Ukrainian drones in various regions, including annexed Crimea, but did not mention the missiles.
In the port of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar region, a Ukrainian attack caused damage to an oil warehouse and other port structures, causing a major fire. Drones have also damaged civilian ships and residential buildings, causing injuries among residents.
Ukrainian authorities have warned that Russia is trying to justify the attack on civilians, but images and reports from the ground show massive destruction in residential areas. President Zelenskyy emphasized that his country remains ready to defend itself and retaliate, including by attacking Russian strategic infrastructure.
