Russia Launches Drone Swarms at Kyiv, Damaging Homes and Warehouses

Russia launched multiple waves of drones at Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and the surrounding region on Friday, damaging warehouses and homes. Ukrainian officials characterized the attacks as an attempt to disrupt the daily lives of millions of residents, following a similar large-scale missile and drone assault the previous day.

At least one person was killed outside Kyiv, with authorities reporting damage to 14 warehouse premises, 16 homes, and three apartment buildings. The attacks continued a pattern of targeting major retailers and consumer logistics. Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private courier, reported that its sorting centers near Kyiv and in the northern city of Sumy were destroyed. In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone struck the home-improvement store Epicenter, injuring at least four people.

Ukrainian officials stated that Russia deployed small, jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles in waves, aiming to paralyze Kyiv. "The aim - to wear down the air defenses and the population," said Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation. The state emergency service reported 38 attacks on the Kyiv region in the preceding 24 hours.

The strikes caused significant disruptions, including train delays across several regions, with passengers stranded for extended periods. Although Ukraine's state railway reported gradual decreases in delays, the effects of the frequent alerts were expected to persist. Kyiv experienced nearly 15 hours under air-raid alert on Thursday.

Russian forces also attacked a shopping center in Kharkiv for the second consecutive day. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified strikes on consumer logistics and online retailers in recent weeks, seeking to undermine each other's economies and war efforts. A major book retailer's warehouse in the Kyiv region was also destroyed by a drone attack on Friday.

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The enemy is launching small numbers of jet-powered UAVs in waves with the aim of paralyzing Kyiv. The aim - to wear down the air defenses and the population.