War

As ceasefire ends, Russian drone strikes residential building in Kyiv

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As ceasefire ends, Russian drone strikes residential building in Kyiv
Ukrainian servicemen of a mobile air defense unit fire a machine gun at Russian drones during a night patrol in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 2, 2024. (Maksym Kishka / Suspilne Ukraine / JSC “UA:PBC” / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being update.

Russian forces resumed their attacks on Kyiv overnight on May 12, launching dozens of drones towards the capital and hitting a residential building in the city, local officials reported.

The latest attack on the Ukrainian capital comes just hours after a U.S.-brokered temporary ceasefire reached between Ukraine and Russia expired.

Explosions were first heard in the capital around 3:35 a.m. local time, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground.

Minutes later, Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko reported that drone debris fell onto the roof of a 16-storey residential building in the Obolon district of the city. Photos posted on social media appear to show a fire emanating from the building's rooftop.

Damage stemming from Russian drone was also reported in the surrounding regions in Kyiv Oblast. In the city of Fastiv, a kindergarten and several homes were damaged as a result of the attack, regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported.

The full extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear. No casualties have been reported in the drone attacks.

Russia regularly strikes Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure as it continues to wage its war. Ahead of the strikes, Ukraine's Air Force warned of dozens of drones approaching Kyiv.

The attack follows three days of relative calm in the region as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire from May 9-11 — a move widely interpreted as an attempt to ensure Moscow could hold its Victory Day parade.

During the ceasefire, there were no large-scale airstrikes, though the Ukrainian Air Force reported Russian drone launches and the firing of one Iskander-M ballistic missile from occupied Crimea.

After a several month pause in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiation amid the Iran war, the Kyiv Independent has learned that the U.S. is once again attempting to broker a temporary ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in exchange for sanctions relief for Moscow.

In the waning hours of the ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 11 that Ukraine will hold back "long-range sanctions" strikes on Russian military targets if Moscow continues to avoid launching mass attacks.

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Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a Senior News Editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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