Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has experienced one of the largest Russian offensive strikes on the city in weeks. At least 17 people have been injured in a drone and missile attack Thursday morning. Officials say that more than 20 drones and missiles were destroyed by air defense forces; however, the falling debris caused damage to nearby buildings and infrastructure.
“Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv regional military administration said in a post on Telegram, “The enemy launched a massive, combined attack using drones and missiles.” Popko went on to say “Unfortunately, people died,” without further elaboration.
Earlier Thursday morning, city officials reported that a kindergarten, residential buildings, and industrial units were damaged. Falling missile fragments set cars on fire in one area of the capital. A fire was also reported at a transformer substation and in a two-story non-residential building in the Podilskyi district. An 11-year-old girl is reportedly one of the victims and was rushed to the hospital for life-saving medical treatment.
This comes after a 44-day pause in Russian attacks on Kyiv. “Every day and every night there is such terror. The world’s unity can stop it when it helps us with air defense systems. Now we need this defense here in Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.
This attack was likely an act of retaliation. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching attacks to disrupt the election that granted Putin another 6-year term as president. Putin was intent on punishing Ukraine for what he believed to be interference, preventing Russians from heading to the polls and voting. With no credible opponent, Putin won the election.
“We feel hatred, terrible hatred. This is not fear, this is hatred. Towards Russia generally and everyone there in particular,” Kostyantyn, a Kyiv resident, told Reuters. His wife, Alisa, stood beside him in front of a damaged building and said “I send greetings to my parents in Crimea who voted… They went to the elections and voted for Putin. Mum, and Dad, thank you very much that my husband and I were almost killed today. Thank you.”
The Ukrainian military has reported that Russia has launched over 8,000 missiles on Ukraine in the first two years of the war.
