Kyiv endured a night of terror last week. The renewed attacks began with a massive Russian missile and drone assault on the Ukrainian capital. Only hours after both countries formally began a major prisoner exchange, the attacks began. This only underscored continuing tensions between the two countries. According to the Kyiv city military administration (KCSA), shell fragments hit an apartment building in the Dniprovskyi district.
Russia’s military carried out a precisely planned preemptive attack by firing 14 ballistic missiles. They released some 250 attack drones, targeting civilian areas across Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that its air defenses successfully intercepted six of the missiles and 245 of the drones, minimizing potential damage. Well over a dozen were injured in several districts of Kyiv– at the last count, Ukraine’s National Police reported at least 15 victims.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, captured the scene from the attacks in stark detail. He illustrated their pernicious effects as they started fires and distributed debris throughout the city. A more than 40-alarm conflagration broke out in a multistory apartment tower in the Obolon neighborhood of Kyiv’s northern suburbs. The inferno spread through three or four floors of the structure in minutes. The explosion blew out thousands of windows in the area, catching many residents unaware and unprepared.
“It was a difficult night for all of Ukraine,” stated President Volodymyr Zelensky, reflecting on the distressing events that unfolded overnight. The bombing caused extensive physical damage, including vulnerability to fire, as buildings crumbled and left toxic debris. Fires raged against the night skyline of Kyiv, dramatically juxtaposed against the blackened sky.
To underscore the need for action, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha shared his concerns on Russia’s actions. He pointed out the amazing difference in diplomatic goodwill versus military hostility. He noted, “One week has passed since the Istanbul meeting, and Russia has yet to send its ‘peace memorandum.’ Instead, Russia sends deadly drones and missiles at civilians.” His remark reflects the deep frustration that many feel at the continuing negotiations for little apparent return on investment for peace.
The missile and drone strikes not only targeted Kyiv but impacted other regions, including Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia. Accounts say that projectiles, grandly referred to as “god’s corridor,” damaged property throughout these areas, highlighting the random and indiscriminate nature of Russia’s military operations.
