Kyiv Families Describe Terror of Overnight Strike and the Pain of Repeated Loss

An overnight Russian attack on Kyiv has left a 22-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district damaged, with four people injured, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. The strike affected the 11th and 12th floors and ignited a fire on the upper level.

For resident Kateryna Slobodianiuk, the assault was a cruel repeat of a recent trauma. She said her family had only just moved into this building after their previous home was damaged in an attack a month earlier, when a Shahed drone crashed near their building, damaging their cars. "After that, we moved here, and now a Shahed has struck here too," she said.

Olha Smal, 62, described the terrifying moment the blast wave threw her across her kitchen. She found her three-room apartment in flames and rushed to help a pregnant neighbor who was injured by debris. The attack also claimed the life of her cat, a companion she described as a source of psychological support following the death of her son a year and three months ago.

Smal's grief is compounded by a series of devastating losses throughout the war. "In 2023, my father died. In 2024, my mother. In 2025, my son was killed," she said. "I don't know how much more grief there will be... I want peace. I want everyone to be alive and healthy."

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched the attack using Iskander-M ballistic missiles, S8000 "Bandera" missiles, and 196 Shahed-type drones. Air defenses successfully shot down or neutralized 165 of the drones, though strikes were recorded at 23 locations and debris fell at four sites.