August M
The dark hours of the night often bring the deepest anxieties during a conflict. When sirens wail, families are forced to flee underground.
This terrifying reality returned with brutal force as a massive aerial onslaught illuminated the night sky, trapping civilians and shattering the peace, DR News reports.
Terror from above
Ukraine faced an overwhelming bombardment overnight as hundreds of weapons targeted major cities. According to the AFP news agency, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that forces tracked at least 656 drones and 73 missiles during the intense raid.
The sheer scale of the assault sent panicked residents running for safety. The Reuters news agency reported that thousands of people packed into underground metro stations and makeshift shelters as alarms echoed across the nation.
In the capital, the damage was severe. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that a suspected missile strike caused a 24-story apartment building to partially collapse. Emergency crews rushed to the scene because residents were likely trapped beneath the heavy rubble.
Fire and destruction
The capital suffered extensive injuries and spreading fires. According to AFP, military administration head Tymur Tkachenko confirmed that three people died in the Kyiv attacks. Klitschko later added that 51 people were hurt, with 35 requiring hospital care.
Blazes broke out across multiple neighborhoods as debris rained down on homes. Roofs caught fire in the Podil district. The destruction was widespread.
The mayor described the chaos on the Telegram messaging service. “In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being hit by falling missile debris. There are also fires in two places in open areas, including near a kindergarten,” Klitschko wrote.
Warned in advance
The destruction reached far beyond the capital city. In the eastern city of Dnipro, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported on Telegram that a separate attack killed four people and injured 16 others. The strike partially ruined a two-story building and smashed windows in nearby homes.
Further north in the Kharkiv region, shelling wounded six people. Regional governor Oleh Synyehubov told Reuters that the casualties included an 11-year-old girl.
The devastating wave of strikes came just after a stark warning from the government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had told the nation on Monday evening that a major strike was imminent.
In his daily video address, the president tried to prepare the public. “Intelligence warnings about Russian attacks remain valid. A massive attack is possible. They have prepared one,” Zelenskyy said.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, Telegram, Dr News
