Russia attacks Kyiv with ‘kamikaze’ drones Ukraine

Russian-launched kamikaze drones attacked Kyiv on Monday morning, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised there would be “no need for more large-scale attacks” in Kiev. Ukraine.

Photos show a drone swooping low across the capital’s skies as police fire from the ground and residents rush to shelters. Other images showed smoke rising from explosions across the city.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko confirmed two explosions in the city’s central Shevchenkiw district.

Strikes were also reported in Sumy province in the northeast of the country and Dnipropetrovsk in the southeast, where missile attacks set fires at energy facilities.

Sumy Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi reported a rocket attack on a critical infrastructure facility just after 5am in the region’s Lomensky district. “There are victims,” ​​he reported on his Telegram channel.

In Kyiv, air raid sirens sounded almost daily at 6:25 a.m., but citizens often ignored them. This time, however, it was quickly followed by a series of explosions between 6:35 am and 6:58 am (0335 GMT to 0358 GMT). A Guardian correspondent heard his second explosion at 8:15 a.m. local time (6:15 a.m. BST).

Klitschko said that “a fire occurred in a non-residential building in the Shevchenkiu district as a result of the drone attack” and that several residential buildings were also damaged.

The mayor also uploaded a photo of debris seen on the pavement, writing, “Debris from the kamikaze drones that attacked Kyiv this morning.”

Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, confirmed the attack in a telegram Position past 7am.

“The capital was attacked by kamikaze drones,” he said. “We need more air defense systems, and as soon as possible. There is no time for slow action. More weapons to defend the skies and destroy the enemy.”

“Russians think this will help, but these actions look like pain,” he said.

Emergency services were reportedly revealing information about possible victims.

The head of Ukraine’s State Railways, Alexander Kamyshin, said there had been several strikes near the Kyiv Central Station. A large number of people had taken refuge in the underground passage of the station.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Anton Gerashchenko also reported that the capital had been attacked by “Iranian drones”. “Their target was an energy infrastructure object,” he argued.

“Some drones were shot down by air defense,” Gerashchenko added, along with a video claiming drones were flying toward the capital.

The attack came just a week after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital and other centers on October 10.

“Kamikaze drones” are cheaper and less sophisticated than missiles, but have proven effective at damaging ground targets, according to Ukrainian military officials. The Shahed-136 drone can remain airborne for several hours, circling over potential targets before being flung into enemy troops, armor, or buildings and detonating on impact.

After the Oct. 10 attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said most of the designated targets had been hit, adding that destroying Ukraine was not his aim.

The Russian leader told journalists after a summit with regional leaders in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana that the recent strikes had destroyed 22 of the 29 targets set by the military in Ukraine, while the remaining 7 as “they’re getting it.”

“We don’t need a massive strike, we have other tasks now,” he said.