Russia’s war with Ukraine is not going as well as it hoped. Its ground offensive has come to a halt after occupying the ruins of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. And it actually lost control of a village in Russia near the border with Ukraine, to an anti-Putin militia. So now, it is lashing out with air raids on Ukraine’s capital, even though that won’t do anything to help it win its war with Ukraine.
Today, Russia mounted two waves of air attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killing at least one person and wounding another.
Kyiv’s air defense systems shot down at least 40 drones moving towards the city early this morning, with falling debris killing a 41-year-old man and wounding a young woman.
“Stay in shelters. The attack is massive!” Kyiv’s mayor told residents.
The pre-dawn attacks occurred on the day when the city celebrates Kyiv Day, the anniversary of the city’s founding 1,541 years ago.
The day is typically celebrated with street fairs, live concerts and museum exhibitions. The war has shrunk the festivities this year.
“The history of Ukraine is a longstanding irritant for the insecure Russians,” noted Andriy Yermak in the office of Ukraine’s president.
Attacks targeted Kyiv’s historical Pecherskyi neighborhood.
As air raid sirens went off soon after midnight, some people stood on their balconies, screaming invective against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin or chanting “Glory to air defense” mantras.
With a Ukrainian counteroffensive about to begin more than a year into the war, Moscow has stepped up its missile and drone attacks this month after a lull of over 50 days. Waves of attacks now occur several times per week.
In the tree-lined Holosiivskyi district in southwestern Kyiv, falling debris on Sunday set a warehouse on fire, destroying over 11,000 square feet of buildings.
A fire broke out after falling drone debris ignited a seven-story office building in the Solomyanskyi district west of the city. That area is a busy rail and air transport hub.
In the Pecherskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of an apartment building because of dropping drone debris.
Over the past month, Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia have skyrocketed. Yesterday, shelling in areas of Russia bordering Ukraine killed a man and a woman.
