28th May, 2023
Russia launched multiple waves of air strikes on Kyiv overnight, in what seemed to be the largest drone attack on the city since the start of the war.
This comes as the Ukrainian capital prepared to mark the anniversary of its establishment on Sunday.
Officials say air defence systems killed at least 40 drones travelling towards Kyiv with falling debris, killing one person.
The pre-dawn attacks occurred on the capital’s Kyiv Day, the anniversary of its official establishment 1,541 years ago.
Kyiv day is traditionally honoured by street festivals, live performances, and special museum exhibitions, all of which are planned for this year, albeit on a lower scale.
“The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritant for the insecure Russians,” Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, said on his Telegram channel.
Preliminary information indicated the air raid was the largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration said. Russia used the Iranian-made Shahed drones in the attack, he added.
“Today, the enemy decided to ‘congratulate’ the people of Kyiv on Kyiv Day with the help of their deadly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” Popko said on the Telegram messaging app.
“The attack was carried out in several waves, and the air alert lasted more than five hours.”
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the victim was a 41-year-old. The military administration said at least two people were injured.
Several districts of Kyiv, by far the largest Ukrainian city with a population of around 3 million, suffered in the overnight attacks, officials said, including the historical Pecherskyi neighbourhood.
Reuters
