Russian drone strikes Kyiv school as Moscow intensifies aerial campaign against Ukraine
A Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv on Thursday as the Ukrainian capital endured another night and day of intense aerial attacks, with children and staff sheltering inside the building when the drone hit, city officials said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said the drone's warhead did not explode and there were no immediate reports of casualties. Images from the scene showed a large hole and black burn mark on the school's brick frontage, along with shattered windows.
Kyiv has faced repeated air raid alerts in recent weeks, with explosions and columns of black smoke punctuating daily life as drones and missiles strike across the city.
Residents say the constant attacks are taking a psychological toll.
Maryna Lystopad, 35, said the stress of the escalating attacks and uncertainty over where drones or missiles might hit had left her constantly anxious.
"It's really horrible. I can't take it anymore. I think, I think that soon we're all going to leave. I'm really not doing well," she told The Associated Press.
"I'm constantly anxious. I can't relax," she said, adding that she feared one of her relatives could be killed.
Ukraine's air defences are being tested by an increasingly varied Russian arsenal that includes ballistic missiles and high-flying, jet-powered drones.
While fighting on the ground has seen no major shifts since last year, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine has responded with long-range drone strikes on targets deep inside Russia, including manufacturing facilities and drone launch sites.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukrainian forces had struck a site in Russia's southwestern Oryol region used to store and launch attack drones.
Ukraine is seeking more US-made Patriot missile systems, which are among the weapons capable of countering ballistic missiles. But supplies have been constrained since the war involving Iran began, while a plan to manufacture Patriots inside Ukraine could take years to produce results.
Kyiv is also racing to develop new interceptors capable of bringing down fast-moving jet-propelled drones as both sides rapidly adapt their weapons and tactics.
Ukraine has pressed for tougher sanctions against Russia to restrict Moscow's access to high-tech components needed for its weapons production.
Russia is also stepping up attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure ahead of winter.
Ukrainian officials did not report any energy infrastructure being struck Thursday, a day after what they described as the biggest Russian attack on the country's power grid since last spring.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Wednesday's barrage appeared to mark the start of a Russian campaign aimed at weakening Ukraine's energy security ahead of winter and increasing pressure on the country.
Russian attacks on electricity infrastructure are expected to intensify as temperatures fall. Kyiv recorded a mild 19 degrees Celsius (66 F) on Thursday, with similar conditions forecast to continue.
Russia also unveiled a new capability in Wednesday's attacks. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's president on defence technology, said Russia had used a jet-powered drone for the first time, equipped with a warhead designed to sever high-voltage electricity pylons.
The latest attacks underscore the growing pressure on Ukraine's air defences as Moscow seeks to exploit the current gap before Kyiv can deploy new systems and capabilities.
