It came after Russia launched, Ukrainian officials say, a major airstrike in two waves overnight on the Ukrainian capital, killing at least one person, as Kiev prepares to celebrate its founding anniversary. today, Sunday.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defense systems shot down at least 20 drones heading towards Kiev as falling debris killed a 41-year-old man and injured a 35-year-old woman in the city.
Klitschko pointed out that Kiev’s air defenses shot down “more than 20 drones heading towards the city”, calling on residents of the capital to “stay in shelters. The attack is massive”, according to Reuters.
He added that a fire also broke out at the company’s headquarters in the Holoseevsky district.
The attacks took place before dawn on the last Sunday in May, when Kyiv celebrates the anniversary of its official founding 1,541 years ago.
The day is usually marked by street fairs, live concerts and special exhibitions in museums.
The Ukrainian capital has planned to celebrate this year, but on a smaller scale than usual.
“The Ukraine story is a long-term irritant for insecure Russians,” Andrii Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on Telegram.
Officials said several neighborhoods in Kiev, Ukraine’s largest city with a population of nearly 3 million, were attacked overnight, including the historic Pechersky district.
On Friday, the head of the local civil and military administration, Serhiy Popko, counted 13 attacks in Kyiv this month.
In recent weeks, reports of drone attacks inside Russia have also increased, in regions bordering Ukraine.
Russian regional authorities said the shelling targeted those areas on Saturday, killing two people.
Moscow holds Kyiv and its Western backers responsible for these attacks, including the attack on the Kremlin, but Ukraine denies any involvement.
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