Waves of Russian drones and missiles struck Kyiv early Tuesday, leaving at least one person dead and injuring many others. The attacks damaged buildings, sparked fires, and caused power cuts across several districts.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 62-year-old American citizen died in a house opposite a location where medics were helping the injured. He shared the information on Telegram but did not provide more details about how the man died.
Klitschko added that 20 people had been injured so far, most of them in the Solomianskyi district near the city center. He warned that enemy drones were still approaching from three directions and that missile threats remained. “Don’t leave shelters!” he urged residents.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the city was facing a “combined enemy strike.” He reported 12 strikes across five districts, including a kindergarten on the city’s eastern edge. Tkachenko described it as a “very difficult night” as emergency crews fought fires and responded to the destruction.
Witnesses described seeing drones swarming over the city and hearing what sounded like missiles overhead. An air raid alert stayed in place for over seven hours after it was declared.
Other parts of Ukraine also came under attack. Outside Kyiv and in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional officials reported multiple strikes.
Both Ukraine and Russia have recently increased the use of drones. The surge in attacks comes as the two countries have held two rounds of talks aimed at ending the war, which has lasted more than three years. So far, the talks have only led to agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of soldiers’ bodies.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemned the strikes. “More Russian drone attacks on residential buildings in Kyiv,” he said. “Russia continues its war on civilians.”
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defense units had shot down two Ukrainian drones targeting the city. Airports in the Russian capital were briefly closed during the incident.
