A Russian drone struck the grounds of a kindergarten and school near Kyiv on Thursday, October 8, damaging the building, playground and nearby homes as children and teachers sheltered inside. The attack hit the Umka Grand kindergarten and school complex in Sviatopetrivske, in the Kyiv region.
No injuries were reported, as pupils and teachers were inside a shelter when the drone struck. CCTV footage from a nearby building captured a man walking close to the kindergarten moments before the strike, appearing to narrowly escape being caught in the attack.
Separate incident in Fastiv district
In a separate incident in the Fastiv district on the same day, debris from a Russian target fell on the grounds of a kindergarten. The children had already gone home, and nobody was injured.
The attacks came amid a wider wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine. Kyiv's authorities said four people were killed and at least 19 were injured in Russian drone attacks on the capital on October 8.
Wider impact on education
Earlier this month, Kyiv officials revealed that 334 schools in the capital had been damaged by Russian attacks. Olena Fidanian, director of the Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Education and Science, said one in three educational institutions in the capital had been hit. She added that one in four of the damaged facilities had been struck between two and eight times.
Drone numbers and aid
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 142 Shahed-type drones overnight on October 8, including 82 jet-powered models. Air defences shot down or suppressed 126 of the drones.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced £54million in humanitarian aid during his first official visit to Ukraine. The funding is intended to help the country withstand the winter.
