Russian drones swarm Kyiv from all sides in apparent shift of tactics
Lex Harvey, Victoria Butenko, Kostya Gak
and
Ivana Kottasová
, CNN
A fire burns at a residential building in Kyiv.
Photo:
Efrem Lukatsky / AP via CNN Newsource
Hundreds of Russian drones flying from all directions have attacked Kyiv overnight into Friday (NZT) in an apparent new Russian tactic, marking a second consecutive night of ferocious attacks on Ukraine.
At least two people were killed, including a 22-year-old police officer who was named by authorities as Maria Dziumaha, and more than a dozen were wounded in the attacks, according to authorities.
CNN staff on the ground in Kyiv witnessed massive, fiery explosions that illuminated the night sky. Smoke filled the air, creating a burning smell and obscuring the visibility in the city centre.
Russia has been intensifying its aerial attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, but the assault on Thursday appeared to mark a change in approach from Moscow.
Russia launched 400 drones and 18 missiles, including eight ballistic and six cruise missiles, according to a Telegram post from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
They were flying at different altitudes, and attacking from all directions - with some of the drones initially bypassing the capital before abruptly changing direction and speeding back towards the city.
While Kyiv has previously experienced attacks from multiple directions, as Russian drones attempted to bypass the city's air defences, the assault on Thursday saw the drones launching towards the city simultaneously, effectively encircling Kyiv before attacking.
This made guarding the capital's skies even more challenging for the strained Ukrainian air defences. Yet the Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down or disabled 382 of the 415 aerial weapons Russia launched at the country overnight, including all of the ballistic and cruise missiles. That is a stunning success given the scale of the attack, especially given Ukraine's limited access to air defence systems.
Many Kyiv residents spent another sleepless night in shelters, listening to the terrifying sounds of explosions and drones flying overhead.
Nadiya Voitsehivkya, 63, told CNN her brother-in-law has been taken to hospital with injuries he sustained when his apartment was struck.
"Everything in it was completely destroyed, and (my sister) escaped in her underwear. She managed to escape, but her husband didn't make it; he was crushed by a slab. The ambulance took him away," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"We don't know where to turn: I don't know who can help us. Everything there is burned down; there is nothing left of that apartment."
As terrifying as the night was for Kyiv's residents, these massive aerial attacks have become the new normal for Ukrainian civilians.
Just on Wednesday, Russia conducted its largest drone assault since the start of its full-scale invasion, launching 728 drones and 13 missiles in strikes that killed at least one person, according to Ukrainian officials.
"This is an obvious build-up of terror by Russia," Zelensky said on Thursday, adding that he would be talking to allies about more funding for interceptor drones and air defences.
The damage from the latest offensive attacks appeared to be substantial.
Residents stand outside of their damaged house in Kyiv, following a Russian strike.
Photo:
Evgeniy Maloletka / AP via CNN Newsource
The Russian Defence Ministry said Thursday that it was targeting "Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises in Kyiv and military airfield infrastructure."
But houses and residential buildings, cars, warehouse facilities, offices and other buildings across the city were damaged and caught fire, according to city authorities.
A health care clinic was almost completely destroyed in the strikes, Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Tetyana, a 68-year old Kyiv resident who asked for her last name not to be published because of fears for her security, said the windows in her apartment were smashed by the pressure wave from a nearby explosion.
"We survived the night, it was very scary. There were a lot of people in the basement … there was a humming, whistling, banging. Fire broke out. The windows were shattered, everything was broken, the walls. My hands are still shaking," she told CNN.
As Russia ramped up its aerial attacks against Ukrainian cities, efforts to reach a ceasefire have largely stalled.
US President Donald Trump has become increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. "He's very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."
Russia's sustained assault in recent days has injected new urgency into questions surrounding Washington's commitment to defending Ukraine, as the Trump administration pledged to send additional defensive weaponry to Kyiv in an apparent policy reversion.
People sleep on the platform of a metro station in Kyiv, as they take cover during a Russian attack.
Photo:
Evgeniy Maloletka / AP via CNN Newsource
Moscow downplayed Trump's harsh words in a press briefing Wednesday. A Kremlin spokesperson said it is reacting "calmly" to Trump's criticism of Putin. "Trump in general tends to use a fairly tough style and expressions," Dmitry Peskov said, adding Moscow hopes to continue dialogue with Washington.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia on Thursday, where he said he relayed Trump's "disappointment and frustration" during a "frank conversation."
Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg weighed in, as well, calling Russia's latest attacks "simply horrific" in a speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.
Zelensky said at a new conference at the same summit on Thursday that all signals point toward the US resuming its aid to Ukraine.
"It is important that, following very constructive and very positive conversations with President Trump, we have all the necessary political signals regarding the resumption of aid supplies," Zelensky said. "We are now working at the team level to ensure that everything arrives in Ukraine on time. We have agreed on all of this."
Zelensky added that at the recovery conference, he discussed purchasing expensive Patriot missile systems with representatives from the US and European countries.
Following Wednesday's record drone attack, Zelensky said there had been "so many attempts to achieve peace and cease fire, but Russia rejects everything."
-CNN
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