Russian Strikes Kill Seven in Kyiv, Including Girl, as Rescuers Dig Through Rubble
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Russian Strikes Kill Seven in Kyiv, Including Girl, as Rescuers Dig Through Rubble
- At least seven people, including a 12-old girl, were killed in Kyiv when Russian drone and missile strikes partially destroyed an apartment building, leaving around 20 others missing.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported dozens wounded in the attacks, including two, amid a massive wave targeting the capital and other Ukrainian regions.
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Russian forces launched a massive barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding areas early Monday, November 25, 2024, killing at least seven civilians and wounding dozens more in one of the heaviest assaults in recent weeks. Rescuers from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service worked through the night to pull bodies from the rubble of a residential high-rise in the Solomianskyi district, where a direct hit caused partial collapse; among the confirmed dead was a 12-year-old girl, with at least 20 people still feared trapped as search operations continued.
The strikes, which began around 3 a.m. local time, triggered air raid alerts across much of Ukraine, with explosions reported in Kyiv, Odesa, and other cities. Officials described it as a coordinated attack involving over 100 drones and multiple ballistic missiles, many intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses but enough breaking through to cause significant damage to civilian infrastructure. In addition to the fatalities in Kyiv, separate reports noted injuries and destruction in regional centers, underscoring the ongoing intensity of Russia’s aerial campaign now in its third year.
Ukraine’s military said it downed 74 of 106 drones launched overnight, while calling for more Western air defense systems to counter such volleys. The assault follows a pattern of escalated Russian strikes since late 2022, often targeting energy grids and urban centers during winter months to maximize hardship. Rescue teams, battling debris and fire, urged residents to avoid the area as they used heavy machinery and sniffer dogs; the death toll could rise as recovery efforts persist amid freezing temperatures.
This incident highlights the persistent toll on civilians, with over 12,000 killed and tens of thousands wounded since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, according to UN estimates. International observers have condemned the strikes as indiscriminate, while Moscow claims they target military sites. (248 words)