Kyiv businesses reel after massive overnight attack on region

Ukrainian businesses are reeling after Russia launched a massive barrage of drones and missiles at Kyiv overnight on May 24, causing widespread damage across the capital.

Russia launched 90 missiles and 600 drones during the several hours-long attack, making it one of the largest this year and causing damage to "every district of the city," according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitshchko.

Missiles and drones caused severe damage across several central districts of Kyiv — usually spared from the worst of Russian mass attacks, and home to thousands of popular businesses.

"We had just opened the coffee shop yesterday," Yevhen Prusak, 35-year-old co-owner of Hogo coffee shop, told the Kyiv Independent at the scene.

"I heard a missile fly right over my head, and that woke me up instantly. Almost immediately, I got a message from my alarm system saying the windows (of the coffee shop) had been blown out," Prusak said.

The cafe, which had its grand opening on May 23, was damaged by the shockwave from a cruise missile strike, which hit the Ukrainian National Chornobyl Museum less than 100 meters away.

A Kyiv Independent journalist sheltering in the nearby Kontraktova Ploshcha subway station witnessed the aftermath of the strike. Flames and large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the museum, and shattered glass from blown-out windows — including from Hogo cafe — lined the street as far as 100 meters away.  

Podil district, home to Hogo and the Chornobyl museum, suffered heavy damage. A central district with pedestrianized streets and parks, the area has hundreds of shops and restaurants popular amongst Kyiv residents.

Zavertailo, an upmarket cafe chain in Kyiv, also suffered damage from the strike. The attack coincided with their preparations to open a new location in another part of the city tomorrow.

"All the windows are shattered, and the frames are bent beyond repair — they’ll have to be replaced," Stanislav Zavertailo, 46, co-owner of the popular Zavertailo and Honey chains, said of the Podil branch in comments to the Kyiv Independent at the scene.

"But at least the walls held. They cracked along the seams, but they’re still standing. We’re trying to stay positive," he added.  

The attack on Kyiv, already being described by several Kyiv residents on social media as the loudest of the full-scale invasion so far, caused widespread damage to other businesses across the city.

Footage widely shared on social media shows the large multi-story Kvadrat shopping mall and neighboring Lukianivskyi market completely destroyed by missile strikes and the resulting fires.

"Three Russian missiles hit a water supply facility, set a market on fire, damaged dozens of residential buildings, and several ordinary schools," Zelensky said in a Telegram post on May 24, underscoring the scale of damage to civilian infrastructure.

"What we see is 47% of the members of the American Chamber of Commerce have had damage or destruction to their premises," Andy Hunder, president of the Chamber, told the Kyiv Independent.

"That damage continues again today," he added.

Cultural centers also took a heavy hit in the overnight raid. The Kyiv Opera Theater, also located in Podil, was forced to postpone a performance of the ballet "Thumbelina" due to damage to the building, it said on May 24.

Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne reported that the Lobanovskyi Football Stadium, the National Philharmonic, Ukraine House (a cultural center), and the National Art Museum of Ukraine were damaged in the attack.

Despite the shattered windows and little sleep, both Zavertailo and Hogo opened their doors to customers on the next morning.

"I turned on the coffee machine and saw that it still worked. Then I picked up the coffee grinder from the floor — it was working too. Some guests came in and asked if they could get coffee. And I really hate saying no," Prusak told the Kyiv Independent in between serving customers at Hogo.

"We cleaned away the dust, the debris, and even the cobwebs from everywhere. It’s cleaner here now than ever before. We even collected pieces of the missile this morning," Zavertailo also said.

"It’s been a hard year, and people are exhausted today, but the main thing is that everyone is alive. That’s what matters most."