Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the southern port city of Odesa, killing at least three people and wounding several others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “one of the largest” on Kyiv, with 315 drones launched overnight into Tuesday.
The attack on Kyiv was intense, with air raid sirens blaring across the city just after midnight. Residents hid in basements, public shelters, and corridors, hearing and feeling the loud thuds of explosions as dozens of drones flew over the city center for about three hours. Seven districts of the capital were hit, with high-rise buildings, homes, cars, and warehouses left burning. According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, it was a “tough night for all of us.” One person was killed, and four others were wounded.
Zelensky said, “Today was one of the largest attacks on Kyiv. Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace.” The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia also launched two KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles in the overnight attack.
In Odesa, residents described the night as “terrible,” with at least two men killed and nine people wounded. A maternity ward at a hospital was hit, with video footage showing a woman in hospital scrubs sweeping shards of broken glass. Violetta, a 78-year-old Odesa resident, said, “My garage with my car is destroyed… We’ve had a terrible time. Thank God I’m not hurt.” Lyudmila, 60, described the frightening loud bangs and scenes of glass and plaster flying everywhere, saying, “It’s very scary because it’s close by. Drones were flying around all the time, banging and banging. It was very scary, but in four years this is the first time we’ve been hit. It’s very hard mentally”.