Russian drones targeted multiple Ukrainian cities overnight on 26 February, killing two people in their home in Kyiv Oblast and damaging apartments and other civilian buildings in Kharkiv.

While the Kremlin denies the attacks on civilians in Ukraine, Russian forces have been targeting residential areas, hospitals, schools, and energy facilities since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Russia aims to inflict terror on Ukrainians to weaken their resistance and morale. 

On the night of 26 February, Russia attacked Ukraine with 177 Iranian-designed Shahed-type strike UAVs and various types of decoy drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

Ukraine intercepted 110 drones, while 66 decoy drones were locationally lost (without negative consequences).

The Russian attack affected the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, and Sumy oblasts.

Russian attack killed two people in Kyiv Oblast

A Russian drone attack on Kyiv Oblast resulted in two fatalities and two injuries, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service.

The SES reported that rescuers recovered two bodies in Kriukivshchyna village, with the second victim being discovered at 10:35 during search operations.

The attack caused a fire in a two-story private home that spread to 200 square meters before firefighters extinguished it.

“The strike was right into the bedroom, because that’s where the fire was coming from,” a neighbor told TSN correspondents. 

Residents attempted to rescue the victims, but the rapid spread of the flames hindered their efforts.

According to TSN, the deceased are believed to be a well-known surgeon and his wife who worked as a television presenter. Due to the condition of the remains, DNA analysis will be necessary for identification.

The attack also injured two people in the Bucha district. A 19-year-old woman suffered a head contusion and was hospitalized, while a 40-year-old man received treatment for a hand wound but did not require hospitalization, according to emergency officials.

In Bucha, drone debris ignited a vehicle, completely destroying it and damaging eight others. The State Emergency Service confirmed that the attack also damaged five private houses, windows in four apartment buildings, and two garage structures.

Russian drones target Kharkiv

Russian forces launched multiple drone attacks on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, according to local officials.

Four Iranian-designed Shahed drones struck different locations across the city, hitting the Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, the Governor of Kharkiv Oblast reports.

In the Kyivskyi district, drone debris struck a nine-story apartment building, causing a fire in a second-floor apartment and creating a hole through the external wall of the entrance. 

The State Emergency Service reported that the fire had spread to an area of approximately 50 square meters.

“There was a strong bang; doors were blown out. Everything was violently torn out. Bang, and then everything was on fire. The apartment was burning. Everything was in smoke, heavy smoke. We grabbed the necessary things, got dressed, and ran out. I told my wife: quickly, we need to run out,”  Yuriy Hara, a resident of the damaged building, told Suspilne.

Emergency crews rescued five residents from the building. Two people required medical attention after inhaling smoke, according to Bohdan Hladkykh, head of the emergency department, while another woman experienced an acute stress reaction.

Mayor Terekhov noted that the damaged building had previously been damaged during Russian attacks in 2022 and was still undergoing restoration.

Another drone struck the roadway in the city center, damaging windows in several nearby buildings and the trolleybus contact network. The impact also affected a university building, the opera house, and a café.

“I heard the drone sound getting louder and louder—and then there was a huge explosion. Everything happened very quickly. My son and I weren’t near the window. We couldn’t sleep for some reason… All windows with frames and doors were blown out,” said Liudmyla Fetkiv who lives on the 5th floor in the center of Kharkiv, according to Suspilne. 

A third drone hit a sidewalk, causing damage to an apartment building, a café, and trolleybus infrastructure. Two additional drones reportedly struck a café, according to Mayor Terekhov.

Utility workers were deployed to repair damage to electrical systems and secure buildings to maintain the heat supply, according to Suspilne. Crews were seen clearing debris and boarding up damaged windows the following morning in the northern Saltivka district. 

Related:

• SBU: Russians lost 50% of 120-mm mortar shell reserves after strike on Toropets arsenal last fall
• EU pays Russia more for fossil fuels than it gives Ukraine in aid, report finds
• The peace trap: Five ways Putin wins if Ukraine freezes the war
• Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike yesterday