Russia carries out largest drone attack in kyiv, authorities say

Russia unleashed several waves of air raids on kyiv during the night of this Sunday (28). According to authorities, this seems to be the largest attack by drones on the city since the beginning of the war, while the Ukrainian capital was preparing to commemorate the anniversary of its founding.

Not that it also seemed to be the first deadly attack on Kiev in May and the 14th attack since the beginning of the month, the authorities explained that the air defense systems shot down at least 40 drones that moved in the direction of the city. The destruction will kill a person.

The prefect Vitali Klitschko informed that the victim is 41 years old. The military administration declared that only two people were wounded.

The attacks before dawn will take place on the last Sunday of May, when the capital celebrates kyiv Day, or the anniversary of its official foundation 1,541 years ago. The day is normally marked by street fairs, live concerts and special exhibitions in museums — plans for which are also held this year, but on a smaller scale.

“The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritation for the insecure Russians,” says Andriy Yermak, chef in the cabinet of President Volodymyr Zelensky, on his Telegram channel.

“Preliminary information indicates that the air strike was the largest drone attack in kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kiev’s military administration. “Russia used the Iranian-made Shahed drones, do not attack,” he added.

Reuters was unable to independently verify this information.

“Today, my brother decided to ‘parabenize’ the people of kyiv, not Day of kyiv, with the help of his dead UAVs [veículos aéreos não tripulados]”, quoted Popko in the application of Telegram messages.

“The attack was carried out on several waves and the air alert lasted more than five hours,” he continued.

Several districts of kyiv suffered as night attacks, authorities said, including the historic district of Pecherskyi.

Reuters testimonials explained that during the air raid alerts that began after midnight (local time), many people stood on their balconies, some shouting offensive words directed at the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and slogans of “Glory to air defense”.

With a Ukrainian counter-offensive approaching 15 months after the start of the war, Moscow intensified attacks with missiles and drones after a pause of almost two months, aiming at military installations and supplies. Waves of attacks now occur several times a week.

In the wooded Holosiivskyi district, southwest of Kiev, destruction set fire to a three-story armory, destroying nearly 1,000 square meters (10,800 square feet) of building structures, designed by Prefect Klitschko.

A fire started after drone strikes struck a seven-walk residential property in the Solomyanskyi district, west of the city. The local is a busy rail and air transportation center.

In the Pecherskyi district, a fire started under the roof of a nine-storey property due to the destruction of drones, and in the Darnytskyi district a loja was damaged, authorities of the Kiev military administration told Telegram.