At least one person was killed, and six others were injured when Russia carried out a drone strike on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, early Wednesday morning.
The attack caused extensive damage to buildings across two districts, city officials reported.
The morning was punctuated by explosions as Ukraine’s air force issued warnings about approaching drones. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that air defenses were actively countering the assault.
The attack caused partial destruction to two floors of a residential building, where emergency workers later recovered the body of a woman, Kyiv’s military administration reported.
Images shared by the State Emergency Service depicted firefighters battling flames in a severely damaged building and rescuers aiding elderly victims.
Meanwhile, the National Bank of Ukraine announced that debris from a downed drone had struck one of its buildings, while another non-residential structure in a separate area sustained damage, Klitschko added.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, stating on social media, “Even on New Year’s Eve, Russia was only concerned about how to hurt Ukraine.”
Kyiv’s military reported intercepting 63 of the 111 drones deployed by Russia across Ukraine overnight, with an additional 46 neutralized through electronic jamming.
The incident is part of a pattern of consistent airstrikes by Russia on cities and towns far from the front lines in its nearly three-year-long invasion.
