Ahead of the anniversary of its founding in 482 A.D., Kyiv suffered the largest drone attack since the start of the war with Russia, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force said in a statement on Telegram that a “record number” of 54 Russia-launched, Iranian-made “Shahed” drones were launched at the city overnight, although it added that it had shot down 52 of them. NBC News was not able to independently verify these figures.
The attack was primarily directed at military facilities and critical infrastructure in the center of Ukraine, including Kyiv, the statement said.
In a separate Telegram post, the Kyiv City Military Authority said the attack “was carried out in several waves, and the air alert lasted more than 5 hours.”
It added that it was “the most massive drone attack on the capital since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, namely with the ‘Shahed’ barrage of ammunition.”
Shahed drones are self-detonating aerial weapons in which the munition can loiter over a target until instructed to attack, destroying the weapon in the process. Iran is believed to have sent hundreds of these weapons to Russia since the beginning of its invasion last February.
At least one person was killed and another was taken to hospital after being hit by falling debris from buildings that were struck, the military authority said.
A shopping mall and a three-story warehouse also caught fire as a result of the debris, causing 10,800 square feet of destruction, it added.
Vitali Klitchko, Kyiv’s mayor, also said on Telegram that buildings had caught fire in the historic neighborhood of Perchersk in the city center, which is famous for its monastery containing the relics of saints.
Bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems, Ukraine has been adept at thwarting Russian air attacks — both drones and aircraft missiles. Earlier in May, Ukraine prevented an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv, shooting down all missiles aimed at the capital.
The most recent attacks came as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of the city’s official founding. The day is usually celebrated with live concerts, street fairs, exhibitions and fireworks, but scaled-back festivities are planned for this year’s anniversary celebration.
“The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritant for complex Russians,” said Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, said on Telegram on Sunday. “Ancient Kyiv, Ukrainian Kyiv … UAV attack.”
The attack’s came as speculation ratcheted up about a long-anticipated counteroffensive from Ukrainian forces.
“We are preparing the battlefield for the new phase of the war. It’s going on now. It is a large number of measures in different sectors of the front line,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News Saturday.
Conceding that preparation was well underway, Podolyak also praised a slickly produced video posted on Telegram Saturday by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.
It showed Ukrainian troops training, swearing an oath and preparing for battle, alongside the caption “The time has come to return what is ours.”
If Ukraine’s top general is suggesting that, he’ll have a good reason, Podolyak said, adding that it showed “that Ukraine may be almost ready to start a big operation aimed at the liberation of its territories.”
Molly Hunter and Reuters contributed.
