It was a tragic event that, regrettably, was not unexpected. Around 3 a.m., the distinct sound of explosions echoed across Kyiv, jolting thousands awake and forcing them to decide whether to seek safety or remain where they were.
In a five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district, residents reported hearing Russian airstrikes in the distance. The noise was familiar, and many had gathered in interior hallways, away from windows, before catastrophe struck.
“We didn’t realize what was happening,” said Oleksandr Yastremskyi, who had taken cover in a hallway with his wife, Tetiana, and their son Denys. “It was as if something crashed into our home. Then we heard people screaming.” A hundred meters away, the other end of their building collapsed, sending what Tetiana described as “a massive wave of dust and smoke” toward them.
The following day, shaken survivors recounted how two explosions destroyed part of the building, killing 17. Ivan Zhelezko, a soldier, stared at his ruined second-floor apartment, its balcony barely hanging on. Nearby, a few belongings he had salvaged from his home of 20 years were packed in bags.
Zhelezko admitted he was too shocked to feel anger, saying he only felt disoriented. Among the victims were “my friend’s sister” and “the parents of my childhood friend.” His family had fled immediately after the first blast, and while he claimed the tragedy was “nothing new” for him, his words carried deep sorrow. “I’m just glad my family survived.”
Those who reacted quickly or were farther from the impact may have escaped unharmed, but the sheer force of the blasts—collapsing all five floors—left no doubt that the attack involved missiles, giving those in their path little chance.
At the site, Yulia Maystruk held her three-and-a-half-month-old daughter, Maria. She spoke of a woman who had sheltered in the basement with her 14-year-old son near the explosion. The mother survived but was hurt, while her son later died in the hospital. Tears filled Maystruk’s eyes as she spoke.
The teenager was among four children killed in the strike—17 civilians in total—simply for being on the wrong side of the building. Ten others were still missing, and rescue teams continued sifting through the rubble in search of survivors, with operations expected to last through Friday.
Kyiv had experienced relative calm in August.
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