Numerous Russian-delivered armed drones rattled Kyiv on Monday as explosions shook the city. These drones set buildings on fire, killing at least four people and sending citizens scrambling for safety.
Russian drone
The majority of the 28 drones that targeted Kyiv, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, were shot down, but explosions could be heard all around the city. Another virtually devastated a four-story residential building, causing at least three units to collapse on top of one another. One strike seems to be directed against the city’s heating system.
Klitschko said that four fatalities were recorded in one apartment structure alone.
He said that the drones were Geran-2 Shahed drones, which Russia had rebranded from Iranian Shahed drones. Russian drones were not delivered by Iran on Monday, according to Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry.
The assault happened a week after a devastating bombardment of Russian missile strikes that killed at least 20 people in Kyiv and other important cities throughout Ukraine. The first attack to hit Kyiv in four months was that one.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in a video message that “enemies can target our cities, but they won’t break us.”
Developments in Russia and Ukraine war
The European Union decided to give Ukraine an additional almost $500 million in funding to aid with the purchase of weapons and other forms of military support. On Monday, the EU approved a plan to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers in Europe.
9,000 Russian soldiers and 170 tanks will be stationed in Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, as part of a new joint Russian-Belarusian military force. The initiative, according to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, is in response to his unfounded allegation that Ukraine is preparing an assault on its former Soviet neighbor.
NATO’s annual nuclear drills in northwest Europe got underway on Monday. The drills, which were scheduled before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, were expected to feature participation from 14 of NATO’s 30 member nations.
Four Russians are being held in custody in Norway after being charged with taking pictures in places where it is prohibited. Officials from Norway declined to offer more details and said they were still looking into the matter. Russians claim that they are merely tourists.
