Russia’s Drone Strikes Hit Residential Buildings in Kyiv

More than two dozen Russian drones struck Ukraine's capital, damaging residential buildings and injuring two people, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack, which was part of a wider drone swarm that targeted central, southern, and western Ukraine, was the sixth of its kind in Kyiv this month.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in a Telegram post said that the attack resulted in partial destruction of two buildings – a high-rise structure in the Solomensky district and an unfinished private house in the Darnytskyi district.

“In the Solomensky district, as a result of a hit in a residential building, the load-bearing walls between the 24th, 25th and 26th floors were partially destroyed,” Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel on Friday. “The fire in one of the apartments was quickly extinguished. One injured resident of the high-rise building was hospitalized by doctors, and another was treated on the spot.”

Debris from the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fell in Darnytskyi district, where an unfinished house caught fire but the flames were promptly extinguished. There were no casualties reported.

The Ukrainian air force stated that its air defenses successfully intercepted and shot down 24 out of the 28 attack drones. This incident adds to the series of assaults that have been occurring since the onset of the conflict in February 2022 when Russian forces, under President Vladimir Putin's orders, launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine. President Putin claimed that he was protecting the people of two self-proclaimed separatist-controlled regions of Ukraine allegedly under attack from the Ukrainian military.

The conflict initially saw rapid advances by Russian ground troops, gaining control of significant portions of Ukraine and reaching the outskirts of Kyiv. However, the strong resistance of Ukraine’s military and civilians across the country foiled the blitzkrieg attempts of the Russian army.

As part of Ukraine's counter-offensive, which began in June, Ukrainian forces have established fortified bridgeheads on the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro River. Recent reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest confirmed advances by Russian forces in the east, particularly near Kupiansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Robotyne.

Avdiivka, a strategically important town on the front line in eastern Ukraine, has been a focal point of the conflict. Its capture by Russian forces could potentially impede Ukrainian efforts to reclaim occupied territories.

Ukrainian forces, in turn, have responded with effective deployment of Western-supplied arms, including the Nlaw anti-tank system, to counter the Russian advance.

The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in military maneuvers, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire and cities like Kyiv facing persistent threats from drone attacks. International efforts to de-escalate the conflict have yet to yield a lasting resolution.