Espreso. Global
Updated

Russian attack on Kyiv leaves one dead, several injured

20 December, 2024 Friday
13:14

On the morning of December 20, the Russian army fired missiles at Ukraine. Debris fell in several districts of Kyiv, injuring at least 11 people

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The Ukrainian Air Force reported the information.

At 6:39 a.m., a missile alert was issued throughout Ukraine. A MiG-31K was spotted taking off.

Later, the Air Force reported high-speed targets in the direction of Kyiv and the region, mainly from the north.

The Kyiv City Military Administration stated that air defense was operating in the capital.

As of 7:25 a.m., loud explosions are still heard in the capital, according to Espreso correspondents.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko says that cars are on fire in the Holosiivskyi district as a result of the fall of rocket fragments. Emergency services are on their way to the scene. The mayor added that a call for medics to Holosiivskyi district was recorded. The team is on its way.

According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, debris fell on an unfinished building in Dniprovskyi district.

There is one victim in Holosiivskyi district, medics are providing assistance on the spot, Klitschko said.

According to emergency services, debris fell on the roof of a building in Dniprovskyi district. A fire is also burning in Solomianskyi district. Crews are on their way, the mayor added.

According to Klitschko, there was also a fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the capital. In Holosiivskyi, a heating main was damaged, he said, and the Kyiv City Military Administration added that an office building, road surface, and a gas pipe were damaged, and five cars caught fire.

At 7:56 a.m., the mayor noted that doctors had hospitalized two people.

“As a result of the Russian attack, 7 people have already been injured. Two of them were hospitalized. According to the doctors, there are no fatalities so far,” Klitschko said as of 8:33 a.m. Later he added that four of the seven injured have been hospitalized.

As of 9:21 a.m., Klitschko reported that one body had been found. Nine people were injured in the attack on the capital, and four of them were hospitalized.

Within an hour, the number of injured rose to 10, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.

In a comment to Espreso, Klitschko stated: "Another Russian attack on a peaceful city, the city center, and the Holosiivskyi district. Unfortunately, there is information about one fatality. Twelve people sought medical assistance, six of whom were hospitalized. The city's infrastructure has suffered significant damage. Building facades are damaged, but the consequences could have been much worse. Regarding the explosion's force, it was a combined attack across different districts of the city using various types of missiles. Thanks to the work of air defense forces, the missiles were intercepted, and these are the results of the debris falling. A heat pipeline and a gas pipeline were also damaged. Currently, 630 buildings are without heating, along with 17 medical facilities, 16 schools, and 13 kindergartens. Kyivteploenergo teams are doing everything possible to restore heating to homes as quickly as possible. Emergency response centers have been set up, and we are gathering additional information about the assistance needed for residents of affected buildings."

At 11:18, the National Police and Kyiv City Military Administration reported that the morning attack by Russia on the capital had resulted in 11 casualties, including one fatality.

The injured include men and women aged 19 to 58, most of whom sustained multiple shrapnel wounds and bruises. The deceased was a 53-year-old man.

Elimination of the attack consequences

State Emergency Service personnel are working at several locations:

Holosiivskyi district: 5 cars caught fire. The road surface was damaged, with subsequent depressurization of the gas pipe. The fire has been extinguished. Work is underway to eliminate the depressurization of the pipe. One person died and one person was injured.

Debris fell at another location, causing a fire on the 13th floor of a building. Parts of the structure collapsed, blocking access to the 15th floor. Crews are dismantling the debris and searching for people. Preliminary reports indicate there are two victims.

Solomianskyi district: a fire broke out in a 3-storey building as a result of falling debris. The fire was extinguished in an area of 15 square meters.

Shevchenkivskyi district: a fire broke out in an administrative building over an area of 100 square meters in separate centers. Efforts are underway to search for victims.

Rescuers continue to work on the ground, the information is being updated.

Klitschko reported that the Russian attack damaged a heating main in the Holosiivskyi district, leaving 630 residential buildings, 16 medical facilities, 17 schools, and 13 kindergartens without heat. Kyivteploenergo crews are working to repair the damage, the mayor said.

Kyivgas JSC stated that seven residential buildings on Antonovycha Street were disconnected from gas supply due to rocket debris falling in the Holosiivskyi district. Repair crews are working to restore services.

Pavlo Petrov, a spokesperson for the State Emergency Service in Kyiv, told Espreso that rescuers are involved in the cleanup in three districts of the city: Holosiivskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Pecherskyi. 

According to him, in the Holosiivskyi district, a road and a gas pipeline were damaged, and five cars burned at the scene. Buildings were also damaged. There is one fatality and several injured. The fire has been extinguished. A business center was hit, with a fire occurring between the 13th and 15th floors, which has also been extinguished.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, the fire has been fully extinguished as well. However, rescuers are still inspecting the floors and searching for victims.

Approximately 120 rescuers are involved, Petrov noted.

Eyewitness сomments

Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halko spoke with entrepreneur Anastasia, who runs a restaurant that opened on February 10 this year and was damaged in today's Russian attack.

“There are so many emotions; I still don’t fully understand what happened. Unfortunately, not a single window in our restaurant is intact. There are also other damages: the ceiling is damaged, tiles have fallen off, and there are issues with the flooring, restroom, and more. How long we’ll be closed is unclear,” Anastasia said, adding that the estimated damage amounts to approximately 2 million UAH. The restaurant has pledged to continue paying employees' salaries during the closure.

A student of the Karpenko-Karyi University, Maksym, shared that he was on his way to university, but his class was canceled due to an air raid alert.

He heard two explosions: the first, he said, was "more or less fine," but when the second one occurred, he realized it was very close. He opened the window and confirmed it was nearby. While the glass in his apartment wasn’t shattered, he felt the building shake. Maksym plans to volunteer at the site in the evening. According to him, volunteers are helping victims with medicine, food, evacuations, and clearing debris, with everyone doing what they can.

Resident Natalia said that, fortunately, nothing in her home was damaged, but the explosion was very loud. Two blasts occurred in quick succession. Her apartment remained intact, even the windows, but the glass in her neighbor's apartment was shattered.

The news will be updated...

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