Ukraine repels largest Russian drone attack since war began
Ukraine's capital Kyiv was hit by a major Russian drone attack on Saturday, wounding five people and causing damage to buildings. The attack came as Ukrainians were commemorating the Holodomor, a Soviet-era famine that killed millions of Ukrainians.
The drones struck different neighbourhoods of Kyiv in the early hours of the morning, with more waves coming with the sunrise. The air raid warning lasted a total of six hours.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that over 70 Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones were launched against Ukraine and that most, but not all, were shot down.
The Air force later announced that they shot down 71 Shahed drones and one missile. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack wounded five people, including an 11-year-old girl, and damaged buildings in neighbourhoods across the city.
Fragments from a downed drone caused a fire in a kindergarten, he said.
Zelensky emphasised that the attack took place in the early hours of the morning, when Ukrainians were commemorating the Holodomor. "Voluntary terror... The Russian leadership is proud of the fact that it can kill," he wrote on Telegram.
The attack was a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Russia to Ukraine, even as the war drags on in its sixth month. It also came as a stark contrast to the commemorations of the Holodomor, which Ukrainians see as a reminder of the horrors of Russian rule.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
