A residential apartment building in the northern part of Kyiv was on fire after being struck by debris, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on June 30.
About 20 minutes before the strike was reported, Klitschko said that air defense systems were activated and warned residents to remain in shelters. The Air Force reported missiles were headed towards Kyiv.
"Debris fell on a residential building in the Obolonsky District of the capital city. There is a fire on the 8th and 9th floors. All emergency services are on site," Klitschko wrote on Telegram at 7:53 p.m.
The fire was contained by 8:25 p.m., Klitschko added in an update.
Six people were treated for acute stress, including one elderly woman who was hospitalized, according to the mayor. The remaining five – including an 11-year-old-girl – were treated by medics on the scene.
Of the 14 stories in the building, two floors were partially destroyed and another balcony was also at risk, he said. Ten residents were evacuated.
Oleksandr, a 48-year-old serviceman who lives in the building next to the one that was hit, told the Kyiv Independent he had just returned home from the front line. The debris damaged his car, parked nearby.
"I was at home, I heard an explosion, my children screamed. I immediately ran (to the scene)," he said. "I have experience because I've just returned home. I came when there were no police, no one. A couple of men (came). We took everything from the first aid kit and ran there."
"But, thank God, no one was injured," he added. "The two apartments which were hit were closed."
Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram that the strike suggested a shift in Russia’s tactics.
“Today's missile strike on Kyiv differs from many recent enemy air attacks on the capital of Ukraine. The enemy did not strike in the dark, nor with combined or massive shelling. Nor with ballistic weapons or cruise missiles from strategic bombers,” wrote Popko. “The aggressor is trying out new tactics - he is looking for the right time, methods and means to strike Kyiv.”
Irynka Hromotska
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