Ukraine: Russian drone attack sparks major fire in Kyiv residential building

A Russian drone strike sparked a major fire at an apartment building in Kyiv, Ukraine, early on Thursday. Residents fled to safety as firefighters battled the flames and rescue workers helped people at the scene.

Flames engulfed part of a nine-storey residential block in Kyiv's Solomyanskyi district as thick black smoke billowed from shattered windows, with emergency crews battling to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters tackled the inferno while rescue workers evacuated residents and anxious onlookers gathered outside the damaged structure. From the sixth floor, one trapped resident desperately called out to crews below, pleading with them to extinguish the flames tearing through her flat.

Amid thick smoke and extensive structural damage, firefighters continued their work as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction. A 44-year-old woman was confirmed dead and seven others injured in the attack, while the wider wave of strikes across Ukraine on 12 November claimed 10 lives in total.