One killed in Russian drone attack on Ukraine

KYIV AP - Russia launched a pre-dawn air raid on Ukraine's capital Tuesday, killing at least one person and sending Kyiv residents again scrambling into shelters to escape a relentless wave of daylight and nighttime bombardments, while Moscow authorities said the Russian capital was attacked by drones.

At least 20 Shahed explosive drones were destroyed by air defense forces in Kyiv's airspace in Russia's third attack on the capital in the past 24 hours, according to early information from the Kyiv Military Administration. Overall, Ukraine shot down 29 of 31 drones fired into the country, most in the Kyiv area, the air force said.

The blasting of drones could be heard over the city before sunrise, followed by loud explosions as they were taken down by air defense systems.

Russian residents reported hearing explosions, and the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, later confirmed there was a drone attack.

Sobyanin, speaking on a Telegram post, said the attack caused insignificant damage to several buildings. Two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalization, he said.

residents of two buildings damaged in the attack were evacuated, Sobyanin said.

The governor of thebroader Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, said several drones were shot down on the approach to Moscow. No immediate response was received from Ukrainian officials.

The second reported attack on Moscow was earlier this month, after authorities said two drones targeted the Kremlin in what was labeled an attempt on President Vladimir Putin's life.

In the attack on Kyiv, a person died and three were injured when a high-rise building in the Holosiiv district caught fire. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze but frequently the falling debris from drones being hit and the interceptor missiles have caused damage on the ground.

The Kyiv military administration has said the building's upper two floors were destroyed, and there may be people under the rubble. More than 20 people were evacuated yesterday.

Resident Valeriya Oreshko, who was hospitalized in the aftermath, said the attacks had everyone on edge.

You are happy that you are alive, but think about what will happen next, he said.

When the explosion hit, Oksana said the entire building shook.

Go to shelters, because you really do not know where the drone will fly, she said. The falling debris in the capital caused a fire in a private home in the Darnytskyi district and three cars were set alight in the Pechersky district, according to the military administration.

The series of attacks that started Sunday included a rare daylight attack Monday that left puffs of white smoke in the blue skies.

On Monday, Russian forces fired 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv, according to Ukraine's chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. All of them were shot down, he said.

Debris from the intercepted missiles fell during the morning in Kyiv's central and northern districts, landing in the middle of traffic on a city road and also starting a fire on the roof of a building, the Kyiv military administration said. At least one civilian was reported to have been injured.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had started a series of strikes early Monday targeting Ukrainian air bases with precision long-range air-launched missiles. The strikes were said to have destroyed command posts, radars, aircraft and ammunition stockpiles. It didn t say anything about hitting cities or other civilian areas.