Russia launched a New Year’s Day drone strike on Kyiv early Wednesday, killing two people, injuring at least six, and damaging buildings in two districts, authorities said.
Explosions echoed across the morning sky as Ukraine’s air force warned of incoming drones. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defenses were working to repel the attack.
Two floors of a residential building in central Kyiv were partially destroyed, according to the State Emergency Service. Photos shared by the agency showed firefighters extinguishing flames at a gutted corner of the building while rescuers aided elderly victims.
The National Bank of Ukraine reported that one of its buildings nearby sustained damage from debris caused by a downed drone. Authorities also confirmed debris hit a non-residential building in another neighborhood.
“Even on New Year’s Eve, Russia focused only on causing harm to Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a social media post responding to the attack.
Ukraine’s military said it shot down 63 out of 111 drones launched by Russia overnight, with an additional 46 intercepted via electronic jamming.
Russia has continued targeting Ukrainian towns and cities with airstrikes far behind the front lines of its nearly three-year-long invasion. Moscow’s forces claim territory in eastern Ukraine through a grinding advance.
On Tuesday, Russian forces fired 21 missiles at Kyiv and the northern Sumy region, damaging buildings and infrastructure in the city of Shostka.
Separately, officials in the southern front-line city of Kherson reported that a 23-year-old volunteer worker was killed by Russian shelling on Wednesday.
