Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Sunday, Kyiv’s military and officials reported that Moscow’s overnight drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital caused fires in homes and vehicles across the city. Explosions echoed as air-raid sirens blared for almost an hour, and falling debris further damaged buildings in both the capital and eastern Ukraine.
A Russian overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s capital injured at least 11 people, including two children. According to Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, falling debris from destroyed drones ignited fires in residential buildings located in the Obolonskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts of Kyiv.
What damage did falling drone debris cause in Kyiv?
According to Ukraine’s emergency service on Telegram, 76 firefighters worked to extinguish overnight fires in the city, including a small blaze in the central Shevchenkivskyi district.
It shared images of firefighters tackling significant fires at nighttime near what seemed to be a residential structure. The emergency service also reported that multiple vehicles throughout the city were ignited by debris from a fallen drone.
“The regional center was hit the hardest. Residential infrastructure, furniture factory warehouses, a trading center and garden buildings were damaged,”
Governor Ihor Taburets said on Telegram.
How many drones were intercepted by Ukraine’s defense?
The Ukrainian military reported that its air defense units intercepted 69 out of 165 drones launched by Russia overnight. Alongside Kyiv, drones targeted Cherkasy in central Ukraine, where national television reported that 15 out of 22 drones aimed at the city were intercepted. Emergency services noted one injury and reported damage to residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.
Why is Zelenskiy demanding a longer ceasefire now?
Moreover, On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged for a genuine ceasefire that would extend for at least a month in the ongoing war, which has lasted over three years. He emphasized the need for a more prolonged pause in the conflict that commenced with Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The Russians are calling for a ceasefire … while striking Ukraine every single day. This is top-level cynicism: just this week alone, Russia has used over 1,180 attack drones, 1,360 guided aerial bombs, and 10 missiles of various types against Ukraine,”
Zelenskiy said on the X social media platform.
“If there’s a ceasefire – then not for their holidays, but for every day,”
he added.
All night long, emergency crews in Kyiv were battling fires in apartment buildings and cars after Russian drone strikes on residential neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there are injured children and adults. Everyone has received the necessary assistance. In Cherkasy, an ordinary… pic.twitter.com/DpwLUaepmC
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 4, 2025
