Russian drones batter Ukraine's Kyiv region, hitting apartments and warehouses for a second day

Russian forces launched a second day of drone attacks on Ukraine's Kyiv region on Friday, striking over a dozen apartment buildings and warehouses. This intensified aerial campaign has caused significant disruption to civilian life and infrastructure in the region, officials said. The attacks in Kyiv essentially locked down the capital for 15 hours on Thursday, severely impacting the local economy.

Even in regions closer to the front line, prolonged air raids have become a daily reality, with Ukrainian officials warning of extended winter outages due to Russia's weaponization of winter. In the southern Kherson region, where glide bombs forced a combined heat and power plant to shut down, residents have been advised to evacuate as the region may face prolonged power and heating outages.

Russian strikes in Kyiv damaged 14 warehouses, 16 private houses, three apartment buildings, and 16 vehicles, killing one person and wounding two others. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have struck a warehouse storing Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles and rocket booster fuel, though Ukrainian officials have not confirmed this.

Recent strikes have damaged numerous warehouses storing various goods, including books and food. The attacks have also worsened air quality, prompting authorities to advise residents to keep windows closed and limit outdoor time. Russian forces have intensified attacks on critical infrastructure, with more than 1,700 drone attacks over the past two months, primarily using jet-powered Shahed and Gerbera drones.

Ukrainian forces have responded to these attacks, striking the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region and causing a fire.