Kyiv Rocked by Barrage of Missiles and Drones

Residential Areas Devastated in the Worst Attacks Since Invasion Began

A massive wave of Russian attacks pummeled Kyiv, resulting in widespread destruction and numerous casualties. The early morning strikes targeted residential buildings, leaving residents reeling from the devastation and loss.

Personal Stories Emerge

The Solomianskyi neighborhood was hit hard when a cruise missile struck a residential block. Evhen Povarenkov stood in the aftermath, his apartment destroyed, the scene a chaotic mix of personal belongings and debris. His face was cut and bloodshot, and he could not see out of one eye.

“There was heat, fire, and smoke,”

—Evhen Povarenkov, Resident

Arcadiy Volenchuk, a 60-year-old resident, described the scene as “total chaos.” At least 30 people across Ukraine were killed in the attacks, with the majority of deaths in Kyiv. The attacks happened while President Zelensky was at the G7.

Health and Humanitarian Crisis

Serhii Dubrov, director of a Kyiv hospital, described the injuries as severe. The hospital treated patients from ages 18 to 95. Residential buildings are especially dangerous for the elderly, who cannot easily reach shelters.

Oleksandr Bondarchuk, a disabled man, was unable to get to a shelter and was left terrified in his apartment. His apartment was close to the point of impact. The timing of the strikes raised suspicions of deliberate targeting, given the President’s travel. A UN report from January 2024 found that 10,000 Ukrainian civilians had been killed in the conflict.

International Implications

The widespread attacks highlighted the urgent need for international support and increased air defenses for Ukraine. The meeting of European leaders on Ukraine failed to produce a joint statement. As Zelensky returned from Canada, the residents of the Solomianskyi neighborhood gathered to lay flowers at the attack site.

Emergency workers have found many more bodies under the rubble. The situation remains dire.