On May 29, 2023, and following a series of massed drone attacks over the preceding weekend, most of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian capital was once more targeted by Russian forces.
Shortly after 10am local time, news and social media channels started to fill with reports of several explosions and air raid warning heard in and around Kyiv. Unlike in preceding attacks, it appears there was almost no advance warning this time, prompting speculations that Russia may have used surface to surface missiles this time.
Images shared on social media show civilians taking shelter in the city’s metro stations as well as the smouldering debris of what may be a Patriot interceptor on one of the city’s streets.
The preceding weekend, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was again attacked by a wave of Iranian-made Shahed 136 “kamikaze” drones (also referred to as “Geran-2” in Russia) launched by Russian forces in what is said to have been the largest scale attack using this type of weapon since the start of the war.
Ukrainian sources claimed 52 out of 54 drones taking part in the attach were shot down by air defences. A man was killed and a woman was injured in the attacks, reportedly when falling debris from intercepted drones fell on a residential building.
This attack takes place on the day when the city of Kyiv marks the anniversary of its foundation.
Ukrainian cities have been regularly targeted by Russia, with a similar attack on Kyiv taking place only three days prior, in the early hours of May 25, 2023. On that occasion, Ukraine claimed to have shot down all of the 36 Shahed 136 drones involved in the attack.