Kyiv, Oct 2:
A Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv on Thursday as Russia intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine, although children and staff inside the building had taken shelter and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said the drone hit the school during a fresh wave of attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The drone’s warhead reportedly did not explode, but the impact caused substantial damage to the building, including a large hole in the brick frontage and shattered windows.
The attack came amid repeated air-raid alerts in Kyiv, with residents facing increasingly frequent drone and missile strikes. Ukraine has struggled to intercept Russia’s newer, faster jet-powered drones as well as ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia had launched another major aerial assault, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had also struck a Russian facility used to store and launch attack drones.
Ukraine continues to seek additional air-defence systems, particularly US-made Patriot missiles, which are considered important for defending against ballistic missiles. The shortage of such systems has become a significant concern as Russia expands its aerial attacks.
The latest strikes underline the continuing importance of air defence for Ukraine, even as the front lines of the war have seen fewer major territorial changes.