Devastating Russian Drone Attack Hits Kyiv, Causes Massive Casualties

Kyiv, Jun 23 (AP) A devastating Russian drone and missile assault on Ukraine's capital claimed the lives of at least nine people overnight, leaving others injured, local officials reported. Rescue workers and firefighters are in a frantic effort to help those possibly trapped under the debris of a partially collapsed apartment building.

In another area of Ukraine, a Russian short-range drone attack struck late Sunday night in the Chernihiv region, killing two and injuring ten, including three children, according to regional administration head Viacheslav Chaus.

Additionally, overnight strikes in the city of Bila Tserkva, about 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of Kyiv, resulted in one death and eight injuries.

These strikes follow a tragic combined Russian attack last Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of 28 individuals in Kyiv, 23 of whom died when a residential building crumbled following a direct missile hit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described that attack as one of the most significant bombardments of the ongoing war, now in its fourth year.

On Monday morning, drones and missiles targeted residential areas, hospitals, and sports facilities across various Kyiv districts, the emergency services reported. The most severe devastation occurred in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where a section of a five-story apartment building collapsed.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed six fatalities in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Rescuers managed to save ten individuals, including a pregnant woman, from a nearby high-rise severely damaged by the blast.

The courtyard in front of the collapsed building was littered with dozens of vehicles, some burnt out and others mangled by the explosion's debris. Onlookers, some wrapped in blankets, tearfully observed the cleanup efforts. Numerous volunteers joined in clearing broken glass, toppled tree branches, and other debris.

Klitschko expressed hope that the death toll will not rise, but acknowledged that rescue teams are still searching for additional casualties in the wreckage.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired a total of 352 explosive drones and decoys overnight. Eleven ballistic and five cruise missiles were also launched. Air defenses successfully intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they reached their destinations.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that its air defenses shot down 23 Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday. (AP)

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