Almost every district in Kyiv
was under “massive” attack Friday morning, the Ukrainian capital’s mayor said, with one death reported and 30 residential buildings damaged across the city.
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has in recent months intensified its attacks on infrastructure, particularly targeting Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems, as well as residential areas.
Missiles and drones were targeting critical infrastructure in the capital on Friday, said Mykola Kalashnyk, the head of the Kyiv regional military administration.
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko called it a “massive enemy attack”, saying air defence forces were in operation.
An elderly woman was killed and at least 24 people, including a pregnant woman and a 10-year-old boy, were wounded in the attack that damaged 30 residential buildings in nine districts, Kyiv police said.
Ukrainian emergency services rescued more than 40 people from fires and destruction across the city.
“Sections of heating networks were damaged,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram, with some buildings in northeastern Desnyansky district temporarily left without heat.
Electricity and water supplies could also be disrupted, he added.
Transport was partially blocked, city administration authorities said, with buses and trams delayed.
AFP journalists saw tracer bullets used against drones and several anti-missile systems deployed.
“Russians are hitting residential buildings. There are a lot of damaged high-rise buildings throughout Kyiv, almost in every district,” Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, wrote on social media.
– Entrenched war –
The attack comes as Kyiv’s Western allies ratchet up pressure on Russia.
On Wednesday, Canada unveiled new sanctions targeting Russia’s drone and energy production, as well as infrastructure used to launch cyberattacks.
G7 foreign ministers that day called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, voicing “unwavering” support for the country’s territorial integrity.
And the European Commission is considering using part of Russia’s assets frozen after its invasion to provide Kyiv with a loan for budgetary and military support over the next two years.
But after almost four years of war, both sides are heavily entrenched with Moscow rejecting ceasefire calls and efforts by US President Donald Trump to revive a long-stalled peace deal.
Russian forces have been grinding across eastern Ukraine for months, trying to take control of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
Russia said Monday it had captured three more villages along the sprawling front line, where it is pressing its advantage in manpower and equipment.
Experts say Russia’s latest strikes on energy infrastructure are putting Ukraine at risk of heating outages ahead of the winter months.
Ukraine has in turn stepped up attacks on Russian infrastructure, and sought to strike further beyond the front.
Russian forces downed more than 200 Ukrainian drones overnight into Friday, Moscow’s defence ministry said, including 66 over Krasnodar Krai and 45 over Saratov in the south.
A fire broke out at the Sheskharis oil refinery, one of the largest in Russia, in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, before being brought under control, Krasnodar Krai authorities said.
A civilian vessel there was also damaged, with three of the crew wounded and hospitalised, they added.
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