17 killed in Kyiv after massive assault, children’s hospital struck further East

During a Russian aerial assault on Ukraine after dark on August 4, a children’s hospital in Zaporizhzhia was rocked by a Russian Molniya drone, shattering windows and heavy glass across the courtyard, according to Ukrinform.

Despite the severe damage to the facade, no doctors or young patients were injured in the strike. Everyone managed to reach the underground bunkers just before the weapon detonated.

The head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, confirmed the narrow escape on his official Telegram channel.

“Fortunately, at the moment of the air raid alert, all the children, together with the medics, were in the shelter. There were no casualties,” Fedorov wrote.

Fire from above

The close call in Zaporizhzhia was only part of a wider barrage targeting civilian areas. In Kyiv, Russian forces launched a massive assault using more than 30 ballistic missiles. Air defense systems fired across the capital as explosions shook multiple neighborhoods.

Strikes hit several districts across the city, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that an office building was hit in the Obolonskyi district. In Sviatoshynskyi, missile strikes caused severe damage to residential homes.

Emergency crews rushed to search through the rubble in the Holosiivskyi district. First responders pulled two injured survivors from a destroyed warehouse, while another strike destroyed a private home. Klitschko also warned of a hazardous ammonia leak triggered by a strike on non-residential premises in the area.

An ambulance driver has also been reported to be injured after another explosion occurred. It is unclear what caused the additional explosion.

17 killed in the capital

Drones and missiles fell elsewhere in the capital as well. Desnianskyi saw warehouse fires break out while missile debris crashed down near apartment buildings.

The heavy strikes follow weeks of relentless pressure on medical and civilian sites. In late July, five guided bombs slammed into Zaporizhzhia infrastructure, wounding 18 people and leaving a child in serious condition. For civilians caught in the target zones, shelters remain the only reliable sanctuary.

Wednesday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that as of the moment of posting, 17 people are confirmed killed and another 44 people have been reported injured.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles during the assault.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation