People are feared to be trapped under the rubble of high-rise residential buildings after Russia launched a heavy drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital early Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said Russia’s “Double Tap” attack partially destroyed an apartment building in Kyiv’s Podylsky district.
“According to preliminary reports, there are people trapped under the rubble,” Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, told Telegram.
Russian missile and drone strikes damaged several homes and commercial buildings in the city, started fires and set cars ablaze, authorities said.
Among them, a 24-story residential building in the Shevchenkivsky district was directly hit by a suspected missile attack, causing a fire, and in Podil, a fire broke out in a 9-story building whose roof was hit by debris, the mayor said. Klitschko added that Russian airstrikes elsewhere in the city also damaged clinics and left debris on the grounds of kindergartens.
The attack left at least one person dead, 14 injured across the city and caused power outages in three districts, he said.
At least four people were killed and 24 others injured in Russian attacks in other areas across Ukraine, including in Dnipro and Kharkiv, authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday warned his people about the possibility of a “massive” attack by Russia.
“The intelligence warnings about a Russian attack remain valid. A large-scale attack is possible. They are preparing it,” Zelenskiy said in an evening speech.
The warning came after Russia warned last week that it was launching a “coordinated attack” on military facilities in Kiev, Russian state media said.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry also warned foreign nationals, including employees of diplomatic missions and international organizations, to leave Kiev “as soon as possible.”
The Russian attack comes as Ukraine expands its attacks on Russian oil assets.
President Zelenskiy said in a speech Monday night that between January and May, Ukrainian forces attacked 15 Russian oil refineries, destroying 40% of Russia’s major oil-refining capacity. CNN cannot independently verify reports.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
