Kyiv residents describe aftermath of morning’s drone attack
Consequences of the Russian attack on Kyiv, December 14 (Photo:Gleb Garanich/Reuters)
Russian invasion forces struck Kyiv with Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones on the morning of Dec. 14. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but residential buildings and administrative buildings in a Kyiv neighborhood were partially damaged.
NV visited the scene of the incident and talked with local residents whose houses were hit.
“When I arrived, my neighbor told me that the windows had been broken. I went into the room and saw the (broken) windows,” said one woman, who was away from home at the time debris from a shot-down drone crashed into the neighborhood.
According to another eyewitness, many people were saved by the fact that they hid under blankets or moved away from the windows when they heard a strange sound.
The Iranian flying bomb drones have a distinctive rotary engine sound, that some have described as being like a lawnmower. In fact, this has earned the drones the nickname “flying lawnmowers” among Ukrainians.
The woman told NV that her neighbors had heard the sound of an explosion as Ukrainian air defenses shot down the drone above them, and that they knew from low, rumbling sound they heard before the explosion that there was a drone nearby.
“Early in the morning, it was still dark, there was an explosion,” the woman said.
“There was a rumble before the explosion. I talked with some neighbors afterwards, they said that it was clear that it was a Shahed drone flying. They managed to at least cover themselves with blankets. This saved them. Then there was a strong explosion that shattered all the windows.”
She also added that after such Russian strikes, Ukrainians are increasingly willing to support the Armed Forces.
“I’m willing to contribute more and more to the Armed Forces,” the woman said.
“Because we are here in the security of our houses, our windows, under the blankets, while (our soldiers are) freezing in the trenches. Russia is judging us by itself, but it takes one to know one. We have a different mentality and we’re not afraid, we don’t want (the war) to end through negotiations. We want them to leave here, and the only way is for our Armed Forces to be victorious.”
Several residential buildings and an administrative building were damaged by debris from the shot-down drone, city officials said.
Cars parked near the scene of the incident were also partially damaged.
“I got out, went to the car, and the sight I see – it turns out that debris flew into my car – the glass shattered, the roof bent,” a man who lives in the area said.
Local residents are currently covering broken windows with cardboard and blankets to keep the heat in their homes.
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