Waves of Russian drones hammer Kyiv, 2 dead, 43 injured, historic market set ablaze

A series of deadly Russian drone strikes on Kyiv killed two people and injured at least 43 others during the morning of Sept. 23, setting a historic market ablaze, and damaging railway infrastructure and residential buildings.

Russian drone strikes killed two people and injured at least 43 as of 5:00 p.m. local time, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Kyiv residents had to endure eight air raid alerts already since midnight, as Russia sends waves of drones to the Ukrainian capital.

Russian drones came down in the Holosiivskyi, Darnitskyi, and Solomianskyi districts of Kyiv, the latter of which also hosts the Kyiv Central Station.

A fire broke out in the historic railway market "Shayba" near the Central Station, Kyiv Independent reporters confirmed. The round structure was built in the 70's as an experimental indoor market and is one of Kyiv's many modernist buildings.

Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia, said that Russia struck railway infrastructure in Kyiv and injured one of their workers.

At 11:02 am local time, Ukrzaliznytsia said that the Kyiv Central Station was not damaged by the Russian strikes.

"At night, first there was a very, very terrifying explosion—it was around 6 AM. We thought it was ballistics because it was so loud. The windows just flew wide open. It turned out to be just a Shahed, and it struck somewhere nearby," Khrystyna, a resident of Solomianskyi district, told the Kyiv Independent.

"And at 10 AM, they were posting about active Shahed launches—that the Shaheds were heading for the center, for Solomianskyi. Then I heard other explosions; there were terrifying blasts in this area. Afterward, we saw a column of smoke from the window—unfortunately, it hit right here. This used to be an old supermarket, a really great supermarket, a nice area where a lot of people used to walk around," she said.

"This is a purely residential neighborhood—here are apartment buildings, residential complexes, supermarkets, offices. It’s not some military facility or a military base; ordinary people are walking around. It’s very terrifying," Khrystyna said.

"I really want to convey to all foreigners that unfortunately, the war is still going on here. Even though we try to live a normal daily life—go to cafes, go out to places—the war is happening every single second, in the middle of the day and at night. At any moment, you don’t know where a strike might land," she said, "If you are tired, believe me, we are even more exhausted by the war."

Schoolchildren, among others, were sheltering in the Kyiv metro as Russian drones flew over the capital during rush hour.

While the full extent of the damage caused is not fully clear at the moment, smoke was visible from the city center following the Russian attacks in various parts of Kyiv, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

In the Solomianskyi district, a Russian drone struck a 9-story residential building, Klitschko said.

Klitschko also said that drone debris fell in the Solomianskyi district of the capital in an area between residential buildings, and that a fire broke out in the area of a transportation company.

A Russian drone also crashed into a four-story business center in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv, according to the mayor. A gas station and warehouses in the Holosiivskyi district were also targeted.

In Darnytskyi district, a fire broke out in a warehouse, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMDA).

Internet providers in Kyiv reported network outages after the Russian attacks damaged data centers of the companies Pavutina and UTELS.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation reported that about 100,000 households in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast were experiencing issues with their internet connection due to the Russian strikes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack, saying that work to address the aftermath of Russian strikes on Kyiv has been underway since morning.

"The Russians launched many drones against the city, a significant number of them jet-powered. Russia continues to turn civilian and critical infrastructure into targets: pharmaceutical facilities, gas stations, railways, communications infrastructure, and shopping malls," Zelensky wrote on X.

Zelensky also mentioned strikes on eight other regions of Ukraine.

Over the past day, Russian forces launched 161 Shahed-type attack drones, including jet-powered versions, as well as Gerbera, Parodiya decoy drones and Banderol drones, the Air Force said on Sept. 23.

In Kyiv Oblast, Russian attacks over the past day damaged 18 facilities, injuring three people, including a 76-year-old man, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, said.

The attacks came on the same day that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Kyiv of the potential for a new large-scale strike by Russia, referencing intelligence reports.

Kyiv authorities don't have the resources to build shelters at every gas station, while the city also faces a shortage of weapons needed to intercept Russian drones and missiles, Klitschko said on Sept. 11.

Russia has recently employed a new tactic of using drones for hours-long attacks on Kyiv, putting residents on edge and into shelters throughout the day and night.