Russian kamikaze drones attack Kyiv, Ukraine calls it "act of desperation"

Kyiv: Russia launched a series of kamikaze drones to attack the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of Monday. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, confirmed the incident on social media and wrote "the capital was attacked by kamikaze drones."

He also called it an act of desperation as the invasion is nearing eight months and has already claimed thousands of lives. "The Russians think it will help them, but it shows their desperation." Kyiv sounded air raid sirens shortly before the first explosion at around 6.35 am. It was followed by sirens across the country. Yermak said Ukraine needs more air defence systems as soon as possible. "More weapons to defend the sky and destroy the enemy."

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the drones caused fires and damaged several buildings in the central Shevchenkivsky district. Residents were asked to take shelter and medics along with fire departments are working.

Russia had launched a large-scale missile attack on the Ukrainian capital and major cities a week ago. 19 people were killed and around 109 people were wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky then alleged that Iranian drones were used in Moscow's attacks on energy infrastructure. But, Tehran has denied supplying Russia with weapons for the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were in retaliation for an explosion that damaged the bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula, a major annexed region.

Despite the international outrage caused by the war and the massive-scale attack on energy installations, Putin claimed Moscow was "doing everything right" in its nearly eight-month war even with a string of embarrassing defeats. Kyiv has been successfully pushing close to Kherson, the main city in the region close to Crimea. Kherson is one of the four regions Moscow claims to have annexed.