Russia launches third consecutive attack on Kyiv, killing 1, injuring at least 4, setting off fires

Russia launched another drone attack on Kyiv on the night of Sept. 26-27, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on the Ukrainian capital, according to authorities.

"Just today, and only in Kyiv, Russian kamikaze drones 'defeated' two kindergartens and two schools, a residential building, a car repair shop, several warehouses, and communication facilities," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Everywhere in the world, such a choice of targets would be called one word: terrorism."

The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office said on Sept. 27 that a pre-trial investigation was launched into the commission of a war crime by the Russian military, which resulted in the death of a man.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at 5:17 p.m. local time that a drone struck a nine-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv.

Klitschko also said at 4:09 p.m. local time that an administrative building in the Holosiivskyi district was hit, according to preliminary reports.

In the morning of Sept. 27, Russia struck a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, Klitschko said at 9:26 a.m. local time. At least three people, a woman and two 16-year-old children, were injured in the area.

Air defense units were operating over the city, Klitschko said in an evening update. Kyiv Independent reporters on the ground also heard air defenses operating in the city.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a Russian drone struck an uninhabited residential building at around 10 p.m. local time on Sept. 26, according to Klitschko.

A fire at the building was later brought under control, while emergency crews continued working at the site.

In the Solomianskyi district, a drone fell in an open area overnight. The resulting blast wave damaged a five-story residential building, breaking windows and damaging its facade, Klitschko said.

A fire also broke out at a warehouse in the district after the site was struck by a Russian drone, he added. Ukraine's State Emergency Service said that a car service center was on fire as a result of the attack.

A woman was injured in the attack and handed over to medics, and a man was killed, the State Emergency Service said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that on the morning of Sept. 27, Russian forces struck a data center in Kyiv twice.

Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar said that its headquarters was damaged during the drone attack on Sept. 27, as reported by the Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.

In Kyiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured three others, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, said.

In Vyshneve, five cars were damaged, and a fire broke out after a drone struck the area. In Brovary, the attack caused fires in a warehouse and an office building, according to Tkachenko.

The latest attack follows a series of Russian drone strikes on Kyiv that began overnight on Sept. 24.

Russian drones continued targeting Kyiv during the day on Sept. 26, with further damage and casualties reported. By the evening, Ukrainian officials said five people had been injured in attacks on the capital during the day.

In recent months, Russia has increased its use of jet-powered drones, placing additional strain on Ukraine's air defenses.

One of Russia's newer jet-powered drone models, the Geran-5, can reportedly reach speeds of up to 600 km/h (373 mph), has an estimated range of up to 950 kilometers (590 miles), and can fly at altitudes of up to 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).

Ukraine is developing interceptor drones aimed at countering Russia's jet-powered drones, with some systems having undergone successful tests, according to Ukrainian officials. The government has not announced plans for mass production.