Iranian drones fired by Russian forces have reportedly hit near the center of Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv. This is Russia’s latest attack on the civilian populace since last Monday when it hit Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Dnipro, Odessa, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, and Zhytomyr.
Driving the news
The chief of staff to the Ukrainian President, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the attacks stating that the country’s capital central, Shevchenkiv district, was hit multiple times on Monday morning. He further solicited support for Ukraine to be able to secure its air spaces. At the time of this report, the number of casualties, if any, was unknown.
The big picture
Russia isn’t slowing down in recent escalated actions against Ukraine as Putin is also striking infrastructures with economic significance. For context, about 48 hours ago, Russia hit a power installation in Kyiv, thereby limiting energy supply to the region. Highlighting that the Putin-led administration is not just attacking public buildings, they are also attacking Ukraine’s resources to force the country to surrender.
Why it matters
With the continued invasion of Ukraine by Russia, over 800,000 houses have been damaged in the almost eight months of the war, forcing residents to live in collective centers or damaged buildings with limited access to resources that can protect them against the forthcoming winter season.
- In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the many people living in these precarious situations can suffer health crises including frostbite, hypothermia, pneumonia, strokes and heart attack.
- Winter brings a whole new challenge for Ukrainians going into the season.