Two people died in Kiev after Russia attacked the capital of Ukraine on New Year’s Day

Authorities said Russia carried out a New Year’s Day drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev early Wednesday morning, killing two people, injuring at least six others and damaging buildings in two districts.

Explosions rang out in the morning sky as Ukraine’s air force warned of incoming drones and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defenses were repelling an enemy attack.

According to the State Emergency Service, two floors of a residential building in the center of Kiev were partially destroyed as a result of the strike. He added that two people died.

Photos published by the agency show firefighters dousing the destroyed corner of the building and rescuers helping elderly victims.

The National Bank of Ukraine said in a statement that one of the nearby buildings was damaged by shrapnel from the downed drone.

Authorities said debris also damaged a nonresidential building in another district.

“Even on New Year’s Eve, Russia was only concerned about how to hurt Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media in response to the strike.

Kiev’s military said it shot down 63 of the 111 drones launched by Russia overnight in various regions of Ukraine. He added that another 46 were shot down by electronic jamming.

Russia regularly carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and towns far behind the front lines almost three years of invasion, in which its soldiers take village after village in a crushing march across eastern Ukraine.

on Tuesday, Moscow’s forces fired 21 rockets towards Kiev and the northern Sumy Oblast during a night strike that damaged buildings and infrastructure in the city of Shostka.

City authorities reported that a 23-year-old volunteer was killed on Wednesday by Russian shelling in the city of Kherson, located on the southern front line.