(Updated: )
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on May 7, killing two people and injuring eight others, including four children, officials reported.
Russian drone debris struck several residential buildings in the Dnipro, Shevchenkivskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi neighborhoods of the capital.
In the Shevchenkivskyi district, the bodies of two people were discovered after a drone struck a five-story residential building, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported. While in the Sviatoshynskyi district of the city, one adult and four children sustained injuries as a result of the attack.
A drone also struck a multi-story residential building in the Dnipro district destroying the 29th and 30th floor
A total of three children have been hospitalized due to burns stemming the attack. One other adult was also hospitalized.
First responders have been dispatched to the sites of attack.
Kyiv Independent journalists first reported explosions around 1 a.m. local time, as Ukraine Air Force warned of missile strikes on Kyiv. Additional explosions were reported around 4:30 a.m. amid the threat of drone attacks.
Local officials also reported that a supermarket, post office branch, as well as a number of cars were damaged in the attack.
The attack on the Ukrainian capital comes ahead of the start of Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 7, with 29 world leaders expected to attend events in Moscow.
Russia stepped up its attacks against Ukrainian civilians in the past weeks, resulting in numerous casualties reported in Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
On May 4, a Russian drone attack on Kyiv injured 11 people, including 2 children, and damaged a shopping mall.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day ceasefire for Russia's Victory Day commemorations between May 7 and 9 — a proposal that President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected, calling it a a "theatrical performance," designed to ease Russia’s international isolation and create a favorable atmosphere for Moscow.
Kateryna Denisova
