Photo: In Kyiv, a woman waited for her grandson until the very end near a burning building
On the night of August 19–20, Russian forces launched a massive missile and drone strike on Kyiv. As a result of the attack, a missile struck a high-rise building in the Solomyanskyi district, where a massive fire broke out.
The journalist arrived at the building as fires raged all around and frightened residents made their way to shelters. The danger of follow-up strikes remained.
“Kyiv is under attack. A missile struck the building. At this very moment, ‘Kalibr’ missiles are flying toward the area. Terrified people are running for cover,” Kushnir wrote.
Near the damaged building entrance, the journalist witnessed a tragedy. An elderly woman was waiting for news about her grandson, who was in an apartment on the seventh floor.
According to the journalist, the young man had been in contact shortly before the explosion. However, rescuers later carried his body out of the building on a stretcher.
“The whole of Solomyanskiy District heard her cries of grief. That woman’s scream tore everything apart from the inside, turned everything upside down… Kyiv is wounded. Again,” the war correspondent shared.
Due to the threat of new strikes, journalists and civilians were forced to wait out another wave of missile attacks under the archway of a neighboring building.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty war correspondent Mariana Kushnir reported on the tragedy from the scene.
Air defense forces shot down 39 cruise missiles, two “Banderole” missiles, and 145 drones used by Russian troops to attack Ukraine beginning on the evening of August 19.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia had been preparing for a massive attack for a long time, combining various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and attack drones to inflict maximum damage on civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv and Brovary were the main targets of the Russian attack.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is taking on the characteristics of a total war — The Kyiv Independent.
Earlier, Ukraine certified the long-range Dovbush T40 unmanned aerial vehicle.
