Half of Kyiv was plunged into darkness Saturday, following an enormous Russian attack on Ukraine’s capital city that killed at least two people and wounded 37 others.
Explosions were heard throughout the night during the hours-long barrage that began shortly after 1 a.m. local time and continued for roughly 6 hours, as Russia launched 596 Shahed-type drones and 36 missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
“While everyone is discussing points of peace plans, Russia continues to pursue its “war plan” of two points: to kill and destroy,” slammed Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on X Saturday.
Russian drone and missile attacks in and around the Kyiv killed at least three people early Saturday in Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Municipal security members stand next to a covered victim’s body at the site of a Russian airstrike on a residential district on Saturday in Kyiv, Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine via Getty ImagesA 10-year-old boy was among the wounded in the strikes that burned down at least six high-rise apartment buildings.
He was taken to the hospital with burns, local officials said. Meanwhile, his 42-year-old father was pulled from rubble, but died.
A woman was killed in the strikes, regional police said.
“The Russians are demonstrating clearly directed terror on our residential areas,” said Kyiv Oblast Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
A total of 360 rescuers were dispatched to the capital, the State Emergency Service said, and the attacks sent many fleeing for underground shelters.
“When it started, it was obvious right away that this would be a serious attack,” Oleksandr, a Kyiv resident, told the Kyiv Independent.
A man stands next to a shell crater near a residential building damaged by a Russian airstrike. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Debris lies on a playground near an apartment building damaged by a Russian airstrike. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that falling debris from intercepted Russian drones hit residential buildings. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
The Kyiv City Military Administration said eight were wounded in a combined missile and drone attack on the broader Kyiv region. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Residents in a yard look at an apartment building damaged by a Russian airstrike. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Smoke is seen rising from a cargo ship on fire in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast, amid the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. SECURITY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images“We’ve been spending nights in the subway almost since 2022 … but today it was very loud, and the station was packed with people.”
More than 600,000 households were left without power after strikes on the war-torn nation’s electric grid.
“Transmission lines were damaged and almost half of Kyiv is without electricity,” Vitaliy Zaichenko, CEO of Ukrainian state grid operator Ukrenergo, told the outlet.
Kyiv has accused Russia of targeting Ukraine’s power grid to leave its civilians without heat, light or running water as the war enters its fourth winter — calling it an effort to “weaponize” the bitter cold.
