Drone attacks on Ukraine, fire in Kiev high-rise apartment building 

Kiev, Dec. 22, (dpa/GNA) – A new Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev has hit a high-rise building, according to the authorities. 

Kiev’s mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on Telegram late on Thursday night that there had been an impact on the upper floors of a building, resulting in a fire. Rescue services were deployed. One injured person was taken to hospital. 

According to preliminary information from Kiev’s military administration, debris from a downed drone crashed into the residential building in the south-west part of the city. The administration also published photos of a destroyed flat. 

Debris from downed drones is also said to have crashed into other parts of the city. The military administration added that it was being clarified whether there had been any destruction or casualties. 

The explosions from the city’s anti-aircraft defence when the drones were fired on were clearly audible in the city centre, a reporter from dpa in Kiev reported. There were air-raid sirens in the capital city and in other regions of the country. 

The head of the presidential administration in Kiev, Andrii Yermak, described Russia as a “terrorist nation” that was fighting civilians. He also confirmed the impact in a residential building. 

Yermak called on people to seek shelter in bunkers. He also warned against filming or photographing the air defence operation so as not to reveal air defence positions to the Russian enemy. 

Russia has been repeatedly bombarding Ukraine with drone attacks in its invasion, which has been going on for almost two years. The country’s air defence system, which has been reinforced by Western defence systems, reports the launch of Russian drones and missiles on an almost daily basis. 

GNA