Kyiv targeted for third night as Ukraine intercepts 20+ drones

Kyiv was subjected to a third consecutive night of attacks as Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital, resulting in several buildings being set ablaze. Officials reported that falling debris caused the fires, while Ukraine’s air defences intercepted over 20 drones. At least one fatality has been reported. Ukraine claims to have downed all missiles and drones in the previous two assaults.

In Moscow, the mayor reported minor damage to several buildings following a drone attack. Sergei Sobyanin stated that all city emergency services were on site and, so far, no serious injuries had been reported. BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, located in northwest Moscow, heard two explosions early in the morning, noting that it was the first time his day had begun in this manner. Many Moscow residents also reported hearing the explosions on social media, bringing the war in Ukraine closer to home.

According to preliminary information from Kyiv’s military administration, over 20 kamikaze drones were destroyed in the latest attack. One person was killed and three injured as a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in the southern Holosiivskyi district. “Two upper floors are destroyed, and there may be people under the rubble,” the administration said in a statement. Fires also engulfed two private buildings, and several cars were damaged in the Darnytskyi district, just across the Dnipro river. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described the latest attack as “massive” and urged residents not to leave their shelters.

The air raid alert was lifted after three hours, indicating that the Russian air assault had temporarily ceased. This marked the 17th attack on the capital since the beginning of May, including a rare daytime attack on Monday. President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the US-made Patriot air defences supplied to Ukraine, stating in a video address that they ensured “100% downing of any Russian missiles.”

“Russia wants to follow the path of evil to the end, that is, to its defeat, because evil cannot have any other end but defeat. The world must see that terror is losing,” Zelensky added.

Meanwhile, General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, warned of a swift response to the Russian strikes. Russia’s military has managed to hit some targets, including an apparent air base, in other regions of Ukraine. On Monday, authorities in the western Khmelnytskyi region reported that five aircraft had been damaged at a military location, with the runway now being repaired. Russia’s military has claimed that all intended targets were hit during its recent attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

The statements by both sides have not been independently verified. Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, has been using kamikaze drones and a range of cruise and ballistic missiles. Analysts suggest that Moscow is attempting to deplete and damage Ukraine’s air defences ahead of its anticipated counter-offensive. Ukraine has been planning a counter-offensive for months but has sought as much time as possible to train troops and receive military equipment from Western allies.