Three apartment buildings were hit during the Russian missile strike on Kyiv on the afternoon of Nov. 15, reported Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko.
One person has been killed in the attack, according to the Kyiv Regional Military Administration. First responders are working at the scene.
All three buildings hit during the attack are located in the city’s Pecherskyi District, where many government buildings, including the President’s Office, are also located.
It remains unclear as to whether this is the only part of Kyiv hit on Nov. 15. The first explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 3 p.m. According to Klitschko, several missiles were downed by air defense.
Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko shared a video after the attack in which a five-story apartment building is on fire.
TV Channel Kyiv quoted a resident who witnessed the attack:
“The first missile went into the high-rise building and the second immediately hit right into the third floor here,” the woman told reporters. “And then there was the sound of more missiles headed somewhere farther away.”
The Kyiv Oblast administration also warned residents that the region may be targeted with missiles.
Russian missiles simultaneously targeted Chernihiv Oblast, where authorities reported that air defense was active.
This is the first Russian attack on Kyiv in over two weeks. Russia’s previous attack, a massive strike that hit energy infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine, took place on Oct. 31, leading to mass power outages.
“If we had been in the kitchen, this would have been us,” Svitlana told the Kyiv Independent, referring to their neighbor, Svitlana Voytenko, who had been killed in the attack.
The couple said they had known Voytenko, who was around their age and had been living on the floor below, for over three decades.
“We saw flames after the explosions, then there was a fire and glass started falling,” Petro told the Kyiv Independent.
“We then rushed to the corridor and lay down there,” he continued.
After waiting awhile, the couple decided to escape the burning building.
“I left in a bathrobe,” Svitlana said.
“Everything we had been accumulating for 70 years...” Petro began.
“...is most likely gone,” Svitlana continued. The couple only managed to save a couple of documents.
Petro and Svitlana have yet to discover what remains of their apartment, as the police have forbidden them to enter the area. In the meantime, they will spend the night at a nearby school.
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