Early Monday morning, as families were preparing to start their week, waves of explosive drones struck Ukraine’s capital.
The blasts echoed across Kyiv, setting buildings ablaze and sending people scurrying to shelters. At least three people were killed.
Exactly how many drones were used in the attack on the capital was not immediately clear.
According to the Associated Press, the drones appeared to include Iranian-made Shaheds, though Iran’s government has denied this.
Social media video posts showed drones buzzing over the capital and smoke billowing in the early morning light. The sound of sustained gunfire could also be heard in one video, in what appears to be an attempt to shoot a drone down.
Russia is allegedly using Iranian-made Shaheds – renaming them Geran-2 – drones that pack an explosive charge and can linger over targets before attacking. Their distinctive A-shaped wings make them readily identifiable.
Andrii Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, confirmed in a social media post that Shahed drones were among those used in the attack on Kyiv.
Thirteen or more drones were shot down in the Kyiv region alone, all as they flew in from the south, according to a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat.
The capital’s central Shevchenkivskyi district was among the areas hit, with apartment blocks damaged and a non-residential building on fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.