KYIV: Ukraine said on Saturday Kyiv had come under heavy Russian drone attack overnight, as fresh explosions were heard in the capital and other regions were struck, resulting in extensive damage and casualties across various districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement, “Unfortunately, the attack by Russian drones caused damage and casualties in various districts of Kyiv.” Zelensky condemned the attacks as “constant terrorist assaults” on Ukrainian cities. He urged the international community to increase pressure on Russia and its supporters, saying the current response is insufficient to halt the aggression.
Explosions continued to be heard in Kyiv on Saturday afternoon amid ongoing air raid alerts, Western media reported. Earlier in the morning, Ukraine’s air force said that it had intercepted 39 out of 71 drones launched from Russia overnight.
The drone assault targeted several regions, including Kyiv, the Sumy border region, and the central Kirovograd and Poltava regions, officials said. The Air Force also reported that of the 71 drones launched, 21 were unaccounted for, while five returned to Russian territory.
Debris from downed drones caused widespread destruction, damaging residential buildings and vehicles in Kyiv, Sumy, and the Black Sea’s Odesa region.
Kyiv’s military administration said that air defence debris fell across six districts in the capital, setting several buildings on fire and damaging cars and apartment blocks. Firefighters extinguished the blazes, and officials reported that a police officer was injured in the assault.
In Kyiv, officials said that an 82-year-old woman suffered head injuries from shrapnel. Further south, in a village near Kherson, artillery shelling by Russian troops resulted in the death of a 40-year-old woman, who was pulled from the rubble, while four others were injured, including three children, according to Kherson’s regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
The health ministry reported additional strikes in Kherson, which hit a hospital, damaging two wards and a laboratory. Fortunately, medics and patients were unharmed, as they had taken shelter before the impact.
Ukraine’s military commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, confirmed that ground forces were currently “holding back one of the most powerful Russian offensives since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.” He did not provide further details but emphasized the resilience of Ukrainian troops amidst mounting pressure.
