A Russian drone attack killed two people in an apartment tower in Kyiv on October 21, as another night of strikes targeted residential buildings and power infrastructure, causing fires and power blackouts across Ukraine.
A 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were among those killed in the capital, according to Kyiv prosecutors.
Putin in October 2024 Kremlin. Image Credit: Russian Government.
Putin Back in 2023. Image Credit: Kremlin.
Debris from the drone that hit the building caught fire on the 20th story of the 24-story building in Sviatoshynskyi district, they said.
“Two other people were injured and taken to hospital,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Residents Describe Hearing Explosions and the Drone Before Dawn
Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv around 5:20 a.m. local time, after air raid alarms had been raised. The high-rise in Sviatoshynskyi district was hit around 7 a.m. – following attacks by drones during the night.
Kateryna Dzomina, a student sleeping in a nearby apartment, told the Kyiv Independent that she heard the explosion, but not the drone.
“It was very scary for me because I was sleeping. One second – and immediately an explosion. Of course, there was panic,” she said.
Nataliia, 63, described hearing “an incredibly powerful explosion”. Her building shook, but she wasn’t aware of the attack until neighbors’ WhatsApp group informed residents of the strike.
Rescuers later found the two victims, while police said a 46-year-old man passing by the building was injured.
Police officers gave first aid to him, according to the prosecutors. The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating whether the drone attack constitutes a war crime, reports say.
Vehicles caught fire in Desnianskyi district, while another attack targeted transport infrastructure in Solomianskyi district, the city’s officials said – citing the emergency service.
The drone strike came after another attack on Kyiv on October 20 – which killed one person and left 21 injured.
Twelve people had to be hospitalized – three of them seriously.
Apartments and Energy Infrastructure Were Targeted
An 83-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman were killed near Kharkiv, Reuters reports – bringing the number of civilian casualties to four after the overnight attacks in Kyiv and the Kharkiv area.
Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said Russia was continuing its attacks on “civilian infrastructure” – including energy facilities, railways, shopping malls and private houses.
“Since the night, Russia has been targeting with high intensity the energy sector, railways, shopping centers, and private houses,” he said, quoted by Ukrainian National News.
The PM added that Russia had attacked Kyiv, Volyn, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions, as well as Kremenchuk, including a university building and a shopping mall in Uman.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces hit a drone storage facility in Poltava and a substation in the region, which supplied energy to defense industrial sites and logistics centers.
Power Disruptions Hit Three of Kyiv’s Districts
DTEK reported emergency power outages in three districts of Kyiv.
The company wrote on social media that emergency energy deprivation was causing power cuts in parts of Obolonskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi districts.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported launching 186 drones during the night.
It said Ukrainian forces shot down 150 drones.
Overnight, local media reported at least nine people killed and 45 injured in attacks across Ukraine – including in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Notably, the attack that killed two people in a Kyiv high-rise is yet to be investigated.
The type of drone that brought down the Kyiv building has yet to be revealed.
“Jet-powered drones changed the game to some extent,” Olena Pavlenko, president of the DiXi Group think tank, told the Kyiv Independent.
Jet-powered drones reportedly created significant challenges for Ukraine’s air defenses.
Lawmaker Viktoria Gryb notes that recent attacks also disrupted water supplies and closed Kyiv’s metro. “But the goal remains the same: to destabilize the energy system,” she said.
U.S. Warns About Russian Missile Launches Again
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was getting advanced warning of Russian missile launches again – after the system had failed recently.
“We are grateful that the intelligence system is working well right now,” he said in comments to the Norwegian newspaper VG, which the Associated Press published.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington had deliberately obstructed military aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Trump said Ukraine must want to end the war.
In a recent social media post, Trump claimed Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did,” adding that “he could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now.”
On Wednesday, US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg – and said he hoped to discuss “the resumption potentially of trilateral talks between Ukraine and Russia and the United States”.
Zelenskyy was open to talks, but insisted on Ukraine’s involvement. “I just ask: But don’t speak about us without us, please,” he told Fox News.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
