Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, firing a barrage of drones and missiles that resulted in at least three deaths. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes ignited industrial fires in Russia, including in the Kaluga and Tula regions.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 39 Shahed drones, along with other simulator drones and four ballistic missiles early on Saturday morning.
Ukrainian air defense forces successfully shot down two missiles and 24 drones. Another 14 drone simulators were destroyed in the attack, according to the Air Force’s statement.
The Kyiv City Military Administration confirmed that three people were killed and three others injured in the strike. Initially, a fourth casualty was thought to be dead, but this report later remained unverified. The confirmed victims were identified as two men, aged 43 and 25, and a 41-year-old woman.
The office of Ukraine’s general prosecutor issued a statement revealing that the casualties included a security guard at a food establishment and people traveling in a minibus on the street.
Journalists who were present at the scene, observed a man lying lifeless in a pool of blood amidst the debris. Firefighters were seen extinguishing the flames, while water flooded the streets.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported widespread damage in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where windows were shattered and smoke was visible at the entrance of a residential building.
A water supply pipeline was also damaged, and the Lukyanivska metro station was temporarily closed due to damage to its glass entrance, although it later reopened.
In addition to the attacks on Kyiv, drones and missiles were intercepted across various Ukrainian regions, including Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Donetsk.
The regional center of Zaporizhzhia was also hit by a Russian missile strike, injuring ten people. The missile caused damage to residential buildings and private vehicles, with local governor Ivan Fedorov reporting that eight of the injured, ranging in age from 28 to 69, were hospitalized, including a 48-year-old woman in serious condition.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes ignited fires in industrial sites across Russia’s Kaluga and Tula regions. Local officials confirmed the fires and reported significant damage.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces had destroyed 46 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight. In Kaluga, a drone strike set a fire in the town of Lyudinovo, with residents suggesting that the attack targeted a local oil depot.
Additionally, a fire broke out in Tula, where Governor Dmitry Milyaev reported that a fuel storage tank had been ignited. Milyaev also urged local residents to stay clear of fallen drone debris.