Moscow's Aerial Assault: "Kyiv weeps with sorrow"
In the heart of Ukraine, the city of Kyiv has been under relentless assault since the beginning of 2022. The attacks, primarily drone and missile strikes, have left a devastating impact on the three million residents, causing significant casualties, injuries, and widespread destruction of vital infrastructure.
Recent incidents in June 2025 saw a surge in attacks, with over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles reportedly launched against the city[1]. These strikes resulted in multiple deaths and injuries across several districts, damaging residential buildings, clinics, and media facilities[1][2].
The civilian toll has been severe. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), 232 civilians were killed and 1,343 injured across Ukraine in June 2025, with Kyiv among the heavily affected areas[1][2]. This spike represented the highest monthly civilian casualties recorded since the Russian invasion's start in February 2022.
The attacks have inflicted devastating damage on essential infrastructure. For instance, a specific overnight attack on Kyiv led to the destruction of healthcare clinics, including an outpatient clinic, and disruption to services like television broadcasting[1]. This infrastructure damage exacerbates hardship for civilians by undermining access to medical care, information, and shelter.
The drones used in these attacks are of Iranian origin and are known by the nickname 'moped'-combat drone[3]. Residents like Inna, a hairdresser from the Darnyzja district, watch volleys lighting up the sky from her open window[4]. Others, such as Natalija, a kiosk saleswoman, huddle in blankets in their hallways during air raids, opting to stay in their own apartments rather than seeking shelter in the metro or other safe zones[4][5].
The air defense of Kyiv is increasingly breached, with explosions heard throughout the city[1]. Despite this, life in Kyiv continues in its unique way. A delivery man delivers fresh baked goods for the metro kiosk during air raids[4]. In the evening, the guitarist at the Golden Gate plays the city anthem, composed in Soviet times, for the many passersby[6].
Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the competing military governor Tymur Tkatschenko provide updates on Telegram during air raids, keeping the citizens informed[7]. People rush to the "Golden Gate" metro station, equipped with essentials, to seek shelter during air raids[8].
The metro station, designed as a shelter against a potential US nuclear attack during Soviet times, offers a semblance of safety amidst the chaos[9]. However, the attacks have taken a heavy toll on the city's infrastructure and its people. Leaving the city is not an option for many, especially for Natalija, especially with her two sons at the front[10].
The conflict in Kyiv oblast has been marked by severe human rights abuses, including unlawful executions and destruction resulting from Russian occupation and military operations starting early in 2022[5]. While these abuses are related to ground conflict, the missile and drone attacks constitute a sustained aerial threat deeply affecting civilian safety even far from frontline zones[2].
In summary, the impact of drone and missile attacks on Kyiv’s civilian population since early 2022 has been profound, with rising casualties, injury, destruction of civilian facilities, and ongoing humanitarian suffering documented extensively by UN sources and human rights organizations[1][2][5].
[1] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/Europe/UA/Pages/UAIndex.aspx [2] https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/14/ukraine-russia-more-civilians-killed-and-injured-drone-attacks [3] https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-crisis/ukraine-says-russia-used-iranian-drone-attacks-kyiv-2022-06-20/ [4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61154419 [5] https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/europe-and-central-asia/ukraine/report-ukraine-russia-war-crimes-are-being-committed-every-day/ [6] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/world/europe/ukraine-kyiv-attack-drone.html [7] https://www.kyivindependent.com/life/culture/kyiv-drone-attack-golden-gate-guitarist-4996386 [8] https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-crisis/ukraine-says-russia-used-iranian-drone-attacks-kyiv-2022-06-20/ [9] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61154419 [10] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/23/ukraine-drone-attacks-on-kyiv-leave-civilians-terrified-and-homeless
- Despite the ongoing drone and missile attacks, life in Kyiv continues with resilience, as a delivery man delivers fresh baked goods during air raids and the guitarist at the Golden Gate plays the city anthem in the evening, offering a semblance of normality amidst the chaos.
- The attacks on Kyiv have not only caused widespread damage to essential infrastructure but have also significantly impacted the region's general-news, with reports of crime-and-justice abuses, human rights violations, and the rising civilian death toll.
