Several blasts rock Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, hit by Kamikaze drones

The central Shevchenkivskyi district of Ukraine’s capital was rocked by blasts early on Monday for the second time in a week, with Mayor Vitalii Klitshchko saying several residential buildings were damaged.

“Rescuers are on the site,” Klitshchko said on the Telegram messaging service, adding that as a result of what he said was a drone attack, a fire also broke out in a non-residential building.

There was no immediate information on casualties.

Shevchenkivskiy district, a busy hub with universities, student bars and restaurants, was hit by several explosions on Monday last week when Russia ordered the biggest aerial offensive against Ukrainian cities in retaliation for a blast on a bridge linking mainland Russia to Crimea.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s staff, said the attacks were carried out with so-called suicide drones.

“Russians think this will help them, but such actions are just their convulsions,” Yermak said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented.

Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.