In the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, experienced the most significant drone attack since the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022. The bombardment coincided with the commemoration of the Holodomor, the great famine of the 1930s, which Ukraine considers a “genocide” orchestrated by Joseph Stalin.
The Ukrainian air force claimed to have shot down 71 Shahed attack drones of Iranian make, launched by Russia overnight. The attack resulted in five injuries, including one to an 11-year-old child, and left dozens of buildings without electricity. The aerial alert in the capital lasted for six hours, during which falling drone debris caused fires and damage across the city.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko denounced the attack as the “most massive since the start of the invasion,” emphasizing that the enemy continued to sow terror. The action also caused widespread power outages and damage to the electrical infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski condemned Russia’s “symbolic” choice to launch the attack on Holodomor Day. The incident underscores Ukraine’s vulnerability and ongoing tensions in the region as Russia seeks to maintain military and economic pressure on the country.