Ukrainian capital Kyiv came under a heavy drone attack early on Monday morning, hours after drone explosions rocked Moscow.
Kyiv authorities said that the Russian military launched dozens of Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack the city’s infrastructure objects. The capital was rocked by powerful explosions and the sound of air defenses at around 4:00 a.m., triggering air raid sirens and panic.
A minimum of 20 drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, the Kyiv military administration said, with debris landing in dozens of neighborhoods. Firefighters and emergency services rushed to put out fires started by the debris. One building was damaged structurally, but as of this morning, there were no fatalities reported.
This strike came soon after explosions were reported in Moscow, where drone strikes purportedly hit a business center in the Komsomolsky district and other targets in the Russian capital. Though Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, Kyiv would not confirm or deny any role.
Ukrainian officials described the drone barrage as part of a pattern of intensified air strikes aimed at draining the country’s defenses and intimidating citizens.
One resident of Kyiv told us, “We were awakened by the hum of drones flying above and the loud explosions. It’s scary not knowing where the next one will strike.”
It’s one of the largest drone attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks and suggests tensions between the two countries remain high and could yet escalate.
The Ukrainian Air Force said the drones had been launched from the north and south, suggesting a coordinated effort by Russian forces.
Foreign observers are watching closely how this drone tit-for-tat war unfolds, especially as both countries prepare for new military offensives this summer.
