KYIV (Reuters) – Russia launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Wednesday morning, killing one person, wounding six and damaging buildings in two areas, city officials said.
Explosions erupted in the morning sky as Ukraine’s air force warned that drones were approaching the capital, and Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said air defenses were repelling enemy attacks.
Klitschko said the strike partially destroyed the second floor of a residential building. The body of a woman was later pulled from the rubble, city and county officials said.
Photos posted by the state Emergency Services Department showed firefighters spraying water into every corner of the building and rescue workers helping elderly victims.
The National Bank of Ukraine said in a statement that one of its buildings was damaged by debris from the crashed drone. Debris also damaged non-residential buildings in other areas, Klitschko added.
Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media about the airstrike, “Even on New Year’s Eve, Russia was only worried about what damage it would cause to Ukraine.”
Kiev’s military said it shot down 63 of 111 drones launched by Russia overnight in various parts of Ukraine. Another 46 people collapsed due to electromagnetic interference, it added.
Russia has carried out regular airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far behind the front lines of the nearly three-year invasion.
