Pregnant woman hurt in Russian strike on Kyiv apartment block says she was getting child ready for school

According to the woman, a burning fragment flew past and then a loud explosion followed. She and her child were cut by shattered glass.

She said she remembers only the glass collapsing onto her and her child, and the apartment filling with smoke.

The woman remains in shock and went to the hospital because she is pregnant. Doctors stitched wounds on her fingers and back, but she said she has not yet been allowed to return home. The entrance door to the building was blocked, so access was possible only by stairs.

A man identified as Maksym told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that he came to the building because his pregnant close friend lived on the 12th floor, while the drone hit the floor below. She was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

According to Maksym, the woman and the children are OK.

“She was getting her child ready for school when the strike happened,” he said.

Another resident, Kateryna, said she woke up a few seconds before the explosion. She heard Ukrainian air defense trying to shoot down the drone.

On Sept. 9, Russian forces struck a 24-story building in the Darnytskyi district of the capital. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said it extinguished the fire and rescued 23 people from the building. Six people were injured.

During the overnight attack into Sept. 9, Russian strikes in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi and Holosiyivskyi districts caused hits that set two trucks, a garage and a two-story nonresidential building on fire. Rescuers said all of those fires were extinguished. Later that morning, Russia struck the high-rise building in the Darnytskyi district with a drone.

Overnight into Sept. 8, Russian forces attacked Kyiv with ballistic and cruise missiles, then continued daytime drone attacks. Falling debris and fires were reported at 16 locations in the Solomyanskyi, Darnytskyi, Holosiyivskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Podilskyi districts. At least five people were killed and 29 injured.

Russian forces also struck the building of the We Are Ukraine television channel while journalists were working there. At least six employees were injured. According to executive producer Yurii Suhak, the strike was aimed directly at the newsroom, and the channel’s broadcasting was temporarily suspended.