Three people were killed in a Russian air strike on Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian officials confirmed. Residents of the city reported hearing two loud explosions early in the morning, followed by air raid sirens around 6:00 am local time. By the time warnings were issued, the missiles had already struck their targets.
The primary destruction occurred in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, where a deep crater now scars the road outside a business center. Although a nearby military factory has been a frequent target of Russian attacks, the latest strike caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure. A couple was reportedly killed in their vehicle on the street, with officials initially reporting four fatalities.
The attack severely damaged a metro station, restaurants, and businesses in the area. Emergency workers were seen removing burned car wreckage while assessing the damage. A previously damaged business center suffered further destruction, with its tall glass tower and main building reduced to a shell after being struck by either a missile or large debris.
Ukrainian forensic teams identified the weapon used as an Iskander-M ballistic missile, citing markings on fragments collected at the scene. “The missile hit directly here before warning sirens could sound,” explained Andriy Kulchytskyy, head of the Military Research Laboratory of the Kyiv Institute of Scientific Expertise.
Nearby, civilian establishments bore the brunt of the destruction. A cake shop lost its storefront, leaving its pastries and pies buried under shattered glass. A neighboring dental clinic was also destroyed, with staff attempting to salvage what remained intact.
Local residents shared harrowing accounts of the strike. “There were three explosions, and the building shook. It was very loud,” Oleksandr, a resident of a nearby block, said. Another resident, visibly shaken, noted, “We’ve gotten used to this. It’s the third year of war.”
Despite the destruction, life in Kyiv seemed to carry on. Streets near the attack site were cordoned off, but neighboring areas were bustling with activity hours later.
The strike is the second fatal attack on Kyiv this month, following a New Year’s Day missile strike that killed two people. In addition to the attack on Kyiv, Russian forces targeted the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, wounding ten people, with one woman in critical condition.
These recent escalations come amid ongoing tensions in the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to stress the country’s reliance on international support, particularly from the United States, as Russian air strikes and ground offensives persist.
The attack also comes just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President. Trump has previously pledged to reduce US military and financial aid to Ukraine, raising concerns in Kyiv about the future of American support in their fight against Russia.
Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyee4zx3g5o