Vladimir Putin unleashed a wave of kamikaze drones on Ukraine’s capital for around two hours, one of the largest attacks in recent months.
Explosions rocked Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight just moments after air raid sirens alerted residents to take shelter.
Ukraine’s air force said the military destroyed 26 out of 33 Iranian Shahed drones launched by Russia.
Footage showed the nighttime sky illuminated by blasts from Kyiv’s air defences engaging the targets.
A plume of smoke could be seen rising from in between buildings.
Resident Liudmyla said she heard the buzzing of the drones before a blast wave shattered windows in her building and the jars on her windowsill.
‘It was a very frightening experience – I cannot even put it into words,’ she added.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that one person was injured in the historic Podil neighbourhood and a fire broke out near one of the city’s parks.
Debris from downed drones fell on the Darnytskyi, Solomianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Podil districts, the city’s military administration said.
‘Drones came onto the capital in groups and all from different directions,’ Serhiy Popko, head of the city military administration, said on Telegram.
Governor of the region Ruslan Kravchenko wrote on Facebook that an unspecified infrastructure facility and eight houses were damaged as a result of the overnight strikes.
Away from Kyiv, Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed three US-supplied Ukrainian speedboats that had been traveling toward Crimea and eight drones.
The ministry did not say whether there was any damage or injuries from either incidents.
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