Ukrainian officials reported today that the capital city, Kyiv, has endured a second consecutive night of drone attacks launched by Russia. The assaults have resulted in damage to several residential buildings and left at least one civilian injured. According to pro-Russian bloggers, Russian forces are engaged in urban combat on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town, Selydove.
The Ukrainian military stated that 116 drones were launched by Russia overnight, with 59 intercepted by air defense systems and 45 going off the radar, likely crashing somewhere within Ukraine. Additionally, up to 10 drones may still be operating in Ukrainian airspace.
Sergiy Popko, the military administrator of Kyiv, expressed concerns via a post on Telegram, saying, “It was another nerve-wracking night. The enemy has not scaled back its airstrike intensity against Ukraine and Kyiv.”
The Ukrainian military has reported several attacks damaging civilian infrastructure. Popko highlighted that at least 10 drones targeting Kyiv from different directions were destroyed during the night. Although none of the drones hit their intended targets, debris from the downed drones caused injuries to at least one man.
Kyiv’s Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, also took to Telegram to report that debris from the Russian drones fell into three central areas of Kyiv, damaging the roofs and facades of several buildings, as well as some power lines.
In a broader strategic move, Russian forces are persistently advancing to gain control over the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. While Ukrainian troops have reportedly entered Russian territory and captured part of Kursk, open-source intelligence indicates that the Russian military continues to attack at the fastest pace since March 2022.
In recent weeks, Russian troops have surrounded several towns in Donetsk and gradually compressed their positions, forcing Ukrainian forces to retreat. According to several pro-Russian bloggers, similar tactics are being used in the town of Selydove, which had a pre-war population of over 20,000.
Prominent pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka noted that the offensive against Selydove has intensified, stating, “Street battles are underway in the town.” Other pro-Russian bloggers have shared videos purportedly showing heavy shelling in Selydove, though Reuters has been unable to verify these claims. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the situation.
