Ukraine war latest: Russian drone attacks on Kyiv kill 2, injure over 40 amid day of repeated strikes

Key developments on Sept. 23:

• Russian drone attacks on Kyiv kill 2, injure 43 amid day of repeated strikes
• Russian Mi-8 helicopter violates Polish airspace near Kaliningrad, Poland says
• Tsikhanouskaya warns Russia could use Belarus for new attacks on Ukraine
• Explosions, smoke reported near oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan

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.

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.

Russian Mi-8 helicopter violates Polish airspace near Kaliningrad, Poland says

A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter violated Polish airspace near the country's northern border on Sept. 23, Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command said.

The helicopter crossed into Polish airspace north of Braniewo at around 11:08 a.m. local time after flying from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the command said.

The helicopter entered Polish airspace to a maximum depth of around 300 meters and remained there for 42 seconds, according to the statement.

The aircraft was tracked by Polish military radar systems, while fighter jets were scrambled and ground forces were placed on standby. Polish air defense crews remain on round-the-clock watch and at "constant readiness" to protect the country's airspace, according to the statement.

"The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense," the command said.

Tsikhanouskaya warns Russia could use Belarus for new attacks on Ukraine

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the threat of Russia using Belarusian territory to launch new attacks against Ukraine is "a real possibility," as reported by Ukrinform on Sept. 23.

"If Russia at some point again wants to attack Ukraine in any way from the northern border, then (Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko) will be very happy to provide territory, logistics, and Belarusian infrastructure to help Putin achieve his goals," Tsikhanouskaya told Ukrinform on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has increasingly warned that Russia might open a new front against northern Ukraine and attempt to draw Belarus deeper into the war.

Lukashenko, who allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the 2022 Kyiv offensive, denied such plans on May 21 and proposed a meeting with Zelensky in either Belarus or Ukraine.

Tsikhanouskaya said Belarusian infrastructure is already being used to support Russian drone operations, including logistics and equipment for directing drones.

Explosions, smoke reported near oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan

Drones reportedly struck an area near an oil refinery in the city of Ufa, the capital of Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan, on Sept. 23, Russian independent outlet Astra reported, citing local residents.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 514 drones overnight over 18 regions, including Bashkortostan, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas.

Local residents reported hearing explosions in Ufa, while local Telegram channels said air defenses were operating over the city, according to Astra.

Astra's OSINT analyst suggested that smoke rose in the area of the Ufa oil refinery, although the analyst said it could also have originated from a nearby thermal power plant.

A "drone threat" alert was also issued in Bashkortostan, while temporary restrictions were imposed on arrivals and departures at Ufa airport, according to Rosaviatsiya.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the accuracy of the report. Russian authorities had not commented on a drone attack on the region as of publication, and the Ukrainian military hadn't confirmed the strike.