Russian Pre-Dawn Air Raid Kills At Least One in Kyiv as Moscow Reports Drone Attack

Before daylight on Tuesday, residents of Kyiv could hear drones buzzing overhead, then the loud explosions as air defenses brought them down. For the third time in 24 hours, Russia had struck the Ukrainian capital, and people again made their way into shelters.

The Kyiv Military Administration said early information showed at least 20 Shahed explosive drones were destroyed in the city's airspace. The Ukrainian air force later gave a wider count: 29 of 31 drones fired into the country had been shot down, most of them over the Kyiv area.

The worst damage was in the Holosiiv district, where a high-rise building caught fire. One person was killed and three were injured. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, though falling debris from drones and interceptor missiles has often caused damage on the ground. The building's upper two floors were destroyed, and the military administration said people might be under the rubble. More than 20 residents were evacuated.

Valeriya Oreshko, 39, told The Associated Press that even with the immediate danger over, everyone was on edge. "You are happy that you are alive, but think about what will happen next," she said. A woman who gave only her first name, Oksana, said the whole building shook when it was hit. Her advice to others was to go to shelters, "because you really do not know where it (the drone) will fly." She added, "We hold on."

Elsewhere in the capital, falling debris started a fire at a private house in the Darnytskyi district and set three cars alight in the Pechersky district, according to the military administration.

The raid followed a rare daylight attack on Monday that left puffs of white smoke against blue sky. Ukraine's chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said Russian forces fired 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv at about 11:30 a.m. and that all were shot down. Debris still fell across central and northern districts, landing in traffic on a city road and igniting a fire on a building's roof. At least one civilian was reported hurt. The wave of attacks had begun Sunday.

Russia's Defense Ministry described Monday's strikes differently. It said it had used precision long-range air-launched missiles against Ukrainian air bases, destroying command posts, radars, aircraft and ammunition stockpiles. It made no mention of hitting cities or civilian areas.

Moscow, meanwhile, reported an attack of its own. Residents said they heard explosions, and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin later confirmed a drone attack. In a Telegram post he said several buildings suffered "insignificant damage," and two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalization. Residents of two damaged buildings were evacuated. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, said several drones were shot down on the approach to the city.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials on the Moscow attacks. It was the second reported attack on the Russian capital this month, after authorities said two drones targeted the Kremlin in what was labeled an attempt on President Vladimir Putin's life. In Holosiiv, attention turns to the rubble and whether anyone is still beneath it.