Explosions in Kyiv: Drones attack civilians and infrastructure

In Kyiv, drones targeted residential buildings and, according to Ukrainian sources, also a train station. According to Mayor Klitschko, five drones reached their targets. People sought shelter underground.

Heavy explosions shook the Ukrainian capital this morning. Shortly before 7 a.m. local time, the center of Kyiv was attacked with so-called kamikaze drones. The target was apparently the headquarters of the energy supply company Ukrinergo. Ukrainian security forces tried to shoot down approaching drones with rifles.

It was teamwork, said a police officer in a video distributed by the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior: “We are part of a crew, we work as a team. One of us saw where she was flying from, we marked the destination. Then she flew Drone already a little further, in the direction of Kudrashova, and we opened fire. But then it abruptly changed its trajectory and exploded 50 meters from us.”

Klitschko: Several residential buildings hit

At least five drones apparently reached their destination. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on the short message service Telegram that several residential buildings had been hit. At least one person died.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyj announced that there were fatalities not only in Kyiv but also in other cities. He did not give details.

According to the information, 18 people were rescued from a badly damaged apartment building in the Shevchenko district of Kiev. It is feared that other residents of the house could be buried under the rubble.

“All the windows in our house broke, all on this side of the house, the explosion wave was very strong,” said pensioner Tetyana Savchenko. “There were probably three explosions here, but nobody was injured. They were just drones, they might not be as powerful as the cruise missiles that hit here last time.”

After the first detonations in the morning, the city administration announced that critical infrastructure was being targeted. A train station in the center of Kyiv was also hit.

Kiev residents sought shelter in subway tunnels and air-raid shelters. A pensioner says: “We don’t have an air raid shelter in our house, we have to go over there to Savchenko Street. But how am I supposed to get there? I had a brain operation, so I go out into the street or I just stay at home in my four walls.”

“We’re constantly expecting new attacks,” said Olena Haniyeva, a woman who was on her way to work when the attacks happened. “But it still came as a surprise this morning. Monday morning, the start of a new working week, somehow I didn’t expect it. I was hoping for our air defense system. I trust our armed forces, but somehow it happened.”

Attacks in other regions as well

Attacks with rockets and drones loaded with explosives also took place in other regions of Ukraine today. In the Odessa area, so-called critical infrastructure is said to have been fired at with rockets and destroyed. Drone attacks were also reported from Odessa. Likewise in the Dnipro area and again in Zaporizhia. The power supply to the nuclear power plant occupied by Russian troops is said to have been interrupted again.

In Kharkiv, the operation of the subway was stopped again today. Due to power outages in parts of the city. In addition, the subway shafts also serve as shelters for the population there.